Own  Story 


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CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


CARDINAL  MERCIER'S 
OWN  STORY 


by 

His  Eminence D.J.  Cardinal  Mercier 

Archbishop  of  Malines 
INTRODUCTION  BY  PROFESSOR  FERNAND  MAYENCE 

Prefatory  Letter  by  His  Eminence 
JAMES  CARDINAL  GIBBONS 


NEW 


YORK 


GEORGE  H.  DORAN  COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT,  1920, 
BY  GEORGE  H.  DORAN  COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT,  I9I9,  1920,  BY  PUBLIC  LEDGER  CO. 
COPYRIGHT,  CANADA,  I919,  I92O,  BY  PUBLIC  LEDGER  CO. 
INTERNATIONAL  COPYRIGHT,  I9I9,  I92O,  BY  PUBLIC  LEDGER  CO. 


PRINTED  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA 


Archevêché  j>e  Malines 


A-      ^ <±~~,  Vf   S^Z.    >-*^  e-TS*—* 


September  16,  1919. 


I  am  very  happy  to  "be  able  to 


recommend  to  the  American  reading  publio 
this  authorized,  official  and  authentic 
story  of  my  beloved  and  esteemed  brother, 
Cardinal  Mercier1 b  experience  during  the 
Great  War. 

In  it  the  reader  will  realize  the 
full  meaning  of  the  Cardinal's  attitude 
during  the  war,  and  possess  a  true  historical 
account  of  the  great  moral  fight  which  was 
carried  on  by  him  as  Belgium's  spiritual 
leader. 


PREFACE 


By  Professor  Fernand  Mayence, 
of  Louvain  University,  Louvain,  Belgium 

From  all  parts  of  the  world,  but  especially  from  Amer- 
ica, His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier  was  requested  to  write 
his  experiences  during  the  German  occupation  of  Belgium. 

The  magnificent  rôle  which  he  had  played  during  the 
war  was  universally  known.  His  pastoral  letters  with  which 
he  confronted  the  power  in  occupation  and  in  which  he 
publicly  proclaimed  the  rights  of  truth  and  justice  had  been 
read  in  every  corner  of  the  world.  Some  of  the  powerful 
letters  addressed  by  him  to  the  German  Governor  General 
as  a  protest  against  the  odious  régime  imposed  upon  Bel- 
gium had  already  been  published  even  during  the  occupa- 
tion. The  knowledge  of  certain  episodes  of  the  duel  which 
had  been  going  on  between  the  Cardinal  and  the  German 
Governor  General  roused  a  good  deal  of  curiosity. 

What  people  wanted  was  to  have  in  detail  from  him 
who  had  been  during  the  occupation  of  Belgium  the  "soul 
of  resistance"  all  the  varying  phases  of  the  conflict  which, 
without  a  moment's  respite  or  any  signs  of  wavering,  he 
waged  against  the  tyranny  of  the  oppressor. 

The  many  and  unceasing  labors  of  his  episcopal  office 
hindered  the  Cardinal  from  yielding  to  these  pressing  re- 
quests; but  his  experiences,  had  they  not  already  been  em- 
bodied during  the  war  in  the  voluminous  correspondence 
he  had  exchanged  with  the  representatives  of  the  Imperial 
Government? 

To  satisfy  those  who  wanted  a  book  on  his  encounters 
with  the  Germans,  the  Cardinal  consented  to  the  publication 
of  these  documents  and  conferred  upon  us  a  great  honor  in 
choosing  us  to  edit  them. 

vii 


viii 


PREFACE 


During  the  occupation,  certain  portions  of  the  archi- 
épiscopal archives — among  other  the  Cardinal's  correspond- 
ence with  the  German  Governor  General — underwent  the 
fate  of  all  the  "verboten."  To  avoid  perquisitions  and  to 
guard  against  their  being  seized,  they  had  to  be  hidden  away 
in  dark  corners  which,  today  appearing  to  afford  security, 
tomorrow  ceasing  to  do  so,  eventually  were  in  all  haste 
changed  for  others. 

Unfortunately,  in  the  course  of  these  repeated  and  hur- 
ried removals  from  one  place  to  another,  some  of  the  docu- 
ments.— happily  of  small  importance,  so  it  seems — went 
astray.  We  have  called  attention  to  these  lacunae  in  the 
course  of  our  work  each  time  that  we  were  able  to  certify 
the  fact. 

We  have  here  reproduced  all  the  documents  that  have 
been  preserved.  We  have  only  left  out  a  few  letters  of 
little  importance,  as,  for  instance,  the  sending  of  a  passport 
to  travel  by  motor  or  those  only  containing  requests  in  favor 
of  political  prisoners,  and  for  that  reason  presenting  no 
point  of  general  interest. 

In  the  arrangement  of  the  documents  the  method 
adopted  is  not  a  strictly  chronological  one.  At  the  risk  of 
not  respecting  the  order  in  which  they  were  written  we 
thought  it  useful,  at  the  same  time  as  we  have  endeavored 
to  follow  as  closely  as  possible  the  sequence  of  events,  to 
group  the  letters  according  to  the  principal  objects  for  which 
they  were  written. 

Cardinal  Mercier's  correspondence  with  the  German 
Governor  General  is,  in  brief,  an  exposé  of  the  hateful 
régime  to  which  Belgium  was  subjected  during  the  fifty  long 
months  of  the  German  domination.  There  is,  in  fact,  not 
a  single  crime  of  the  occupying  power  which  this  courageous 
pastor  has  not  stigmatized,  not  a  single  one  of  its  snares 
which  he  has  not  exposed,  not  a  single  one  of  its  hypocritical 
acts  which  he  has  not  laid  bare,  not  one  single  act  of  abuse 
of  its  governing  power  against  which  he  has  not  raised  his 
voice  in  angry  protest. 


PREFACE 


ix 


Scorning  all  danger,*  listening  only  to  the  voice  of  his 
conscience,  he  constantly  kept  to  the  fore  against  the  abuse 
of  "might,"  the  imprescribable  rights  of  truth  and  justice. 
By  his  uniform  behavior,  by  the  calmness  and  nobleness 
of  his  attitude,  whether  in  the  face  of  threats  or  of  concilia- 
tory proposals  of  the  occupying  power,  he  upset  the  calcula- 
tions of  a  government  which  labored  under  the  conviction 
that  a  systematic  organization  placed  at  the  service  of 
"might"  ought  eventually  to  triumph  over  all  resistance. 

From  the  time  he  took  office  as  Governor  General, 
Baron  von  Bissing,  using  the  Cardinal  of  Cologne  as  an 
intermediary,  endeavored  to  enter  into  personal  relations 
with  the  primate  of  Belgium.  He  gave  him  to  understand 
that  he  was  disposed  to  give  entire  satisfaction  to  the  Catho- 
lic Church  and  to  assuage  the  wounds  already  inflicted  on 
the  occupied  country  by  the  war. 

In  his  first  letter  to  Baron  von  Bissing,  while  thanking 
him  in  a  very  courteous  manner  for  the  good  feelings  shown 
by  him,  His  Eminence  made  a  point  of  clearing  away  from 
the  beginning  any  possible  misunderstanding.  "Whatever 
may  be  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing' s  personal  incli- 
nations," he  wrote,  "the  Governor  General  is  the  represen- 
tative among  us  of  a  usurping  and  openly  hostile  nation, 
in  the  presence  of  which  we  boldly  affirm  our  rights  to  our 
independence  and  to  have  our  neutrality  respected."  "If, 
for  the  time  being,  we  bow  to  a  stronger  power  than  our 
own,"  wrote  he  at  the  same  time  to  Cardinal  von  Hart- 
mann, "we  proudly  cherish  our  rights,  and  entertain  our 
unshaken  confidence  in  the  future  !" 

Submission  to  the  regulations  imposed  by  the  occupying 
power  so  long  as  they  did  not  wound  either  our  conscience 
or  the  dignity  of  our  feeling  as  patriots;  repeated  protests 
against  acts  of  violence  and  injustice;  unfailing  fidelity  to 
our  king  and  to  the  legitimate  authority  of  our  country; 
and  unconquerable  trust  in  the  future — all  these  are  the 

♦Note — It  has  been  established  by  convincing  evidence  that  on  several 
occasions  the  Cardinal's  arrest  had  been  decided  upon,  but  the  German 
authorities  each  time  held  back  in  view  of  the  consequences  of  this  step 
and  their  decision  was  never  put  into  force. 


X 


PREFACE 


principal  points  of  the  program  sketched  out  by  the  Car- 
dinal from  the  very  beginning  of  the  occupation  and  to 
which  he  faithfully  adhered  up  to  the  hour  of  deliverance. 

The  letters  exchanged  between  the  Cardinal  and  Baron 
von  Bissing  are  very  numerous  and  touch  on  very  varied 
topics.  The  Governor  General  shows  himself  alternately 
conciliatory  and  quarrelsome,  menacing  and  argumentative. 
But  unfailingly  he  finds  himself  up  against  the  calm  and 
sereneness  of  a  man  strongly  convinced  of  his  rights  and 
thoroughly  confident  in  the  justice  and  holiness  of  his  cause. 

Baron  von  Falkenhausen,  Baron  von  Bissing's  successor 
in  the  office  of  Governor  General,  stands  out  as  the  type 
of  an  autocratic  and  brutal  officer.  He  declared  on  his 
arrival  in  Belgium  that  he  declined  to  discuss  with  the  Car- 
dinal questions  which  had  no  direct  connection  with  religious 
matters. 

This  implied  prohibition  did  not  restrain  His  Eminence 
from  sending  with  his  usual  frankness  and  vigor  protests 
to  the  Governor  against  the  breaches  of  law  committed 
by  him  or  his  officers,  and  notably  against  the  arrest  of  state 
officials  who  had  been  charged  with  having  refused  to  col- 
laborate with  the  enemy  administration  and  against  meas- 
ures taken  by  the  occupying  power  to  despoil  the  Belgians 
of  the  produce  of  the  soil. 

From  the  very  beginning  of  the  occupation,  without 
allowing  himself  to  be  repelled  by  the  successive  refusals 
with  which  his  requests  had  been  met,  His  Eminence  had 
constantly  asked  for  sanction  to  send  to  the  prisoner  camps 
in  Germany  priests  of  Belgian  nationality  who  could  speak 
both  native  tongues.  As  the  new  Governor  General  had 
declared  that  in  religious  matters  he  would  readily  welcome 
any  demands  that  came  from  the  Belgian  episcopacy,  the 
Cardinal  again  returned  to  the  charge,  but  his  persistence 
had  no  greater  success  than  before. 

The  same  happened  with  several  other  requests  made 
by  him  in  which  he  pleaded  for  measures  to  be  taken  to  fur- 
ther the  religious  welfare  of  the  railway  men  and  of  those 
persons  who  had  been  arrested  and  were  awaiting  their 
trial  in  Belgian  prisons.    If  Baron  von  Falkenhausen  ever 


PREFACE 


xi 


consented  to  take  notice  of  any  demands  that  were  in  any 
way  connected  with  religious  affairs,  it  was  only  to  reply 
that  he  was  not  in  a  position  to  grant  them. 

The  one  who  corresponded  at  great  length  with  the  Car- 
dinal was  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  head  of  the  political 
department  at  government  headquarters.  At  the  very  be- 
ginning of  the  occupation  he  came  into  touch  with  His 
Eminence.  For  all  that,  his  first  letters  to  the  Cardinal  date 
only  from  the  commencement  of  191 6. 

After  this  he  intervenes  in  all  the  important  matters 
which  became  the  object  of  discussion  between  the  Cardinal 
and  the  Germans  ;  namely,  deportations,  the  patriotic  action 
of  the  priests,  church  demonstrations,  the  severance  of  ad- 
ministrative powers,  the  disastrous  policy  of  the  "Cen- 
trales," etc. 

His  letters  betray  the  cold  reserve  of  a  diplomat.  Con- 
trary to  his  chiefs,  he  never  loses  his  temper.  If,  very  often 
at  the  request  of  the  Governor  General,  he  undertakes  to 
take  up  and  plead  the  bad  cases  brought  forward  by  the 
representatives  of  the  empire,  he  acts  for  them  without  en- 
thusiasm, without  conviction,  almost  in  dilettante  fashion. 

He  takes  delight  in  these  epistolary  jousts,  and  at  cer- 
tain moments  his  correspondence  with  the  Cardinal  assumes 
the  glamour  of  an  academic  discussion  in  the  course  of 
which  the  opponents  argue  out  questions  of  right,  of  gen- 
eral policy,  even  those  of  philosophy.  On  the  other  hand, 
it  seems  that  occasionally  Baron  von  der  Lancken  did  ear- 
nestly endeavor  to  soften  the  rigor  of  measures  imposed  by 
the  military  authorities. 

During  the  four  years  of  occupation,  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral, and  following  his  example  the  whole  of  Germany,  had 
constantly  reproached  the  Cardinal  with  having  overstepped 
his  rôle  of  bishop.  When  at  the  beginning  of  the  invasion 
he  condemned  the  crimes  committed  by  the  German  troops; 
when  he  rose  in  anger  against  the  deportation  of  workmen; 
when  he  declared  that  it  was  every  one's  duty  to  love  his 
country  and  to  remain  faithful  to  it  even  under  oppression; 
when  he  sought  to  uplift  the  fainting  heart  of  the  Belgian 
population  with  the  hope  of  a  better  future,  he  was  accused 


PREFACE 


of  having  misused  his  pastoral  functions  and  of  having  pur- 
sued political  ends. 

Over  and  over  again  the  Cardinal  gloriously  defeated 
his  accusers.  He  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  his  conduct 
justified  by  the  Imperial  Government  itself. 

On  October  17th,  1918,  Baron  von  der  Lancken  pre- 
sented himself  at  Archbishop's  House.  In  the  name  of  the 
Governor  General  and  of  the  Berlin  government,  he  an- 
nounced to  His  Eminence  the  approaching  release  of  all 
political  prisoners  and  handed  to  him  a  note  which  com- 
mences with  words  vindicating  the  policy  pursued  by  the 
Cardinal:  "You  are  in  our  estimation  the  incarnation  of 
occupied  Belgium  of  which  you  are  the  venerated  and 
trusted  pastor.  For  this  reason,  it  is  to  you  that  the  Gov-> 
ernor  General  and  my  government  also  have  commissioned 
me  to  come  and  to  announce  that  when  we  evacuate  your 
soil  we  wish  to  hand  over  to  you  unasked  and  of  our  own 
free-will  the  political  prisoners  serving  their  time  either  in 
Belgium  or  in  Germany." 

This  was  an  avowal  of  defeat.  At  the  close  of  the 
struggle,  which  he  had  waged  for  four  years  against  the 
Cardinal,  the  German  Governor  General  acknowledged 
himself  beaten.  All  his  policy  of  coercion  as  well  as  his 
diplomatic  subterfuges  had  broken  down  before  the  strong 
and  unbending  will  of  a  man  who,  in  everything  and  at  all 
times  had  this  one  thing  alone  in  view — to  do  his  duty. 


TRANSLATOR'S  NOTE 


The  translators  by  way  of  preface  have  only  this  to 
remark:  That  the  work  undertaken  by  them  to  give  an 
English  rendering  to  the  present  correspondence  has  been  a 
real  labor  of  love. 

Near  spectators  of  the  events  which  took  place  in  Bel- 
gium during  the  occupation,  the  news  of  which  leaked  out 
at  odd  times  in  spite  of  the  German  censorship,  we  came 
to  entertain  for  His  Eminence,  who  largely  loomed  in  these 
events,  great  admiration  and  sympathy,  so  that  when  the 
work  of  translating  a  series  of  letters  which  reflected  the 
sturdiness,  stanchness  and  unflagging  courage  of  this  stout 
champion  of  Belgian  rights  was  offered  to  us,  we  gladly 
and  lovingly  accepted  the  honorable  task. 

If  our  humble  collaboration  is  to  result,  as  we  hope  it 
will,  in  making  still  better  known  the  saintly  virtues  of  a 
Prince  of  the  Church  who,  like  St.  Thomas  of  Canterbury 
and  many  other  churchmen  in  history,  was  prepared  to  give 
up  even  his  life  for  his  flock  and  their  rights,  we  shall  be 
more  than  proud  in  having  had  some  small  share  in  bring- 
ing this  about,  while  at  the  same  time  we  beg  the  reading 
public,  in  view  of  the  many  difficulties  with  which  a  work 
of  this  kind  is  hedged,  to  condone  any  discrepancies  or  other 
faults  that  may  have  crept  in  in  the  course  of  our  endeavor 
to  reveal  to  them  the  minds  of  the  several  writers. 


xiii 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I    First  Relations  of  the  Cardinal  with  von  Bissing       .  23 

II   The  Cardinal  asks  von  Bissing  Authority  to  Send  Belgian 

Priests  into  Prisoners'  Camps  in  Germany  ....  34 

III  Salaries  of  the  Clergy  35 

IV  Von  Bissing  Complains  to  the  Cardinal  About  the  Manner 

in  which  the  French  Treat  German  Officer  Prisoners  43 

V   The  Pastoral  Letter.  Patriotism  and  Endurance     .    .  45 

VI    Proposal  for  an  Inquiry  into  the  Murder  by  German 

Troops  of  Priests  Belonging  to  the  Diocese  of  Malines  65 

VII    Release  of  the  Belgian  Doctors  and  Chemists  Confined 

at  Heidelberg  71 

VIII   The  Cardinal's  Protest  Against  the  Behaviour  of  a 

German  Military  Chaplain  100 

IX   The  Cardinal  Intercedes  on  Behalf  of  F.  von  Bambeke, 

S.  J.,  AND  OF  THE  ABBE  CuYLITSJ  VON  BlSSING  COMPLAINS  OF 

the  Patriotic  Attitude  Taken  up  by  the  Clergy    .    .    .  103 

X   Scheme  for  an  Inquiry  on  the  Subject  of  Assaults  Com- 
mitted by  German  Soldiers  upon  Nuns  106 

XI   The  Muster-roll  of  Young  Men  Clashing  with  Religious 

Services  on  Sundays  no 

XII   Von  Bissing  Complains  of  a  Discourse  of  Mgr.  De  Wach- 

ter's  112 

XIII  The  Cardinal's  Interview  with  Mgr.  Wittendorf    .    .  114 

XIV  The  Cardinal  asks  von  Bissing  to  Authorize  the  Sending 

of  Chaplains  to  the  Belgian  Army  and  Presses  for 
Religious  Ministrations  to  Political  Prisoners  to  be 
Entrusted  to  Belgian  Priests.  The  Governor  General 

Refuses  118 

xv 


ri  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XV   The  Governor  General  Authorizes  the  Corpus  Ckristi 

Procession  127 

XVI  Von  Bissing  Refuses  to  Allow  Belgian  Counsel  to  Defend 
Fathers  De  Bruyne  and  Bonne,  S.  J.,  Arraigned  Before 
the  Military  Tribunal  of  Antwerp  128 

XVII  Interview  Between  Cardinal  Mercier  and  Baron  von  der 
Lancken  Regarding  the  Pastoral  Letter,  "A  Call  to 
Prayer"  131 

XVIII   Treatment  of  Religious  Awaiting  Trial  in  the  Military 

Prisons  at  Malines  and  at  Louvain  148 

XIX   Sermons  Preached  by  the  Clergy  168 

XX   Guarding  of  the  Telephone  Line  at  Vilvorde     .    .    .  179 

XXI  Before  Leaving  for  Rome,  the  Cardinal  again  Recommends 
to  von  Bissing  the  Moral  and  Religious  Interests  of 
Political  Prisoners  182 

XXII    Renewed  Complaints  of  Baron  von  Bissing  Concerning 

the  Preaching  of  the  Clergy  185 

XXIII  The  Pastoral  Letter  "On  my  Return  from  Rome  "   .    .    .  188 

XXIV  Patriotic  Action  of  the  Priests  207 

XXV    Protests  of  the  Bishops  Against  the  Enrollment  in  the 

German  Army  of  Young  Belgians  of  German  Parentage  230 

XXVI  The  Cardinal's  Public  Address  in  the  Church  of  St. 

Gudule,  July  21,  1916  232 

XXVII  The  Rights  of  the  Occupying  Power  250 

XXVIII   Fresh  Arrests  of  Priests  288 

XXIX    Interference  of  the  Occupying  Power  with  the  Teaching 

of  the  Normal  Schools  296 

XXX  Interview  Between  the  Cardinal  and  Baron  von  der 
Lancken  Regarding  the  Pastoral  Letter,  "The  Voice 
of  God"  300 

XXXI   The  Deportation  of  the  Unemployed  308 

XXXII    Baron  von  der  Lancken  again  Accuses  Certain  Priests  of 

Having  Misused  Their  Office  of  Preaching     .    .    .  351 


CONTENTS  xvii 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXXIII  National  Celebrations  in  the  Churches  354 

XXXIV  Removal  of  Certain  Apparatus  from  the  St.  Lambert's 

Technical  School  361 

XXXV   Requisition  of  Copper  364 

XXXVI   The  Governor  General  Requests  the  Cardinal  to  Restrict 

the  Consumption  of  Coal  in  the  Churches      .    .    .  366 

XXXVII   The  Cardinal's  Pastoral  Letter  "Courage,  Brethren"    .  367 

XXXVIII    Condemnation  of  Mgr.  Legraive,  Auxiliary  Bishop  of 

Malines,  and  of  M.  L'AbbÉ  Allaer  375 

XXXIX   Death  of  Baron  von  Bissing  379 

XL  Baron  von  Falkenhausen  Succeeds  Baron  von  Bissing — 
First  Relations  of  the  Cardinal  with  the  Governor 
General  380 

XLI  The  Cardinal  Recommends  to  Baron  von  Falkenhausen 
the  Religious  Interests  of  Workmen  at  the  Malines 
Arsenal  and  of  Persons  Detained  on  Suspicion    .    .  382 

XLII  The  Cardinal's  Attitude  Toward  Partition  of  Adminis- 
tration  385 

XLIII   Arrest  of  Canon  Vrancken,  the  Cardinal's  Private 

Secretary   398 

XLIV  The  Cardinal  Accuses  the  Occupying  Power  of  Ignoring 
Religious  Authority — He  Again  Insists  on  Obtaining 
Permission  to  Send  Belgian  Priests  to  Interment  Camps 
in  Germany  400 

XLV   The  Governor  General  Threatens  to  Seize  the  Church 

Bells  408 

XL VI  The  Cardinal  Proves  that  the  Scarcity  of  Agricultural 
Products  in  Occupied  Belgium  is  Due  to  the  Action  of 
the  German  "Centrals."  He  Denounces  Certain 
Serious  Outrages  Committed  by  German  Soldiers  in 
Churches  and  Complains  of  the  Support  Given  by  the 
German  Authorities  to  a  Campaign  Directed  Against 
Himself  by  the  "Activists"  416 


XLVII   The  Cardinal  Requests  Baron  von  der  Lancken  Not  to 

Convert  the  Church  of  St.  Roch,  at  Hal,  into  a  Hospital  428 


XV111 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 

XLVIII 


XLIX 


The  Religious  Interests  of  Prisoners  Detained  in  the 
Citadel  of  Diest  429 

The  Commandeering  of  Mattresses  in  the  Homes  for  the 
Aged  of  the  Little  Sisters  of  the  Poor — Divine  Service 
in  the  Prison  Attached  to  the  Kommandatur  at  Brussels   43 1 

The  Belgian  Bishops  Formally  Protest  Against  the  Im- 
perial Government's  Project  to  Utilize  Certain  Catho- 
lic Churches  for  Protestant  Worship  434 


LI   Release  of  Political  Prisoners  and  of  the  Deported 


437 


LII    Protest  of  the  Cardinal  Against  the  Behavior  of 

German  Troops  During  their  Retreat      ....  440 


CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


CARDINAL  MERCIER'S 
OWN  STORY 


CHAPTER  I 

FIRST  RELATIONS  OF  THE  CARDINAL  WITH  VON  BISSING 

Under  the  government  of  Von  der  Goltz  (September 
3rd-December  3rd,  19 14),  there  was  no  interchange  of  cor- 
respondence between  the  Cardinal  and  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral. Their  relations  were  limited  to  an  exchange  of  mu- 
tual visits. 

Shortly  after  the  arrival  at  Brussels  of  the  first  German 
Governor,  the  Cardinal  called  upon  him  and  asked  him  to 
intercede  with  the  Imperial  Government  for  the  repatria- 
tion, as  soon  as  possible,  of  the  priests  and  teachers  who 
had  been  deported  at  the  time  of  the  invasion.  He  drew 
his  attention  to  the  fears  of  the  Belgians  remaining  in  the 
country,  and  of  the  refugees  wishing  to  return  to  Belgium, 
who  dreaded  seeing  their  young  men  deported  to  Germany 
for  the  purpose,  presumably,  of  being  incorporated  in  the 
ranks  of  the  German  army.  The  Cardinal  had  already 
started  negotiations  on  this  subject  with  the  Governor  of 
Antwerp,  General  von  Huene.  As  a  result  of  these,  Von 
Huene  had  entered  into  an  agreement,  applicable  to  the 
province  of  Antwerp,  according  to  which,  (  1  )  the  civic 
guards  having  laid  down  their  arms  would  not  be  molested, 
(2)  young  men  would  neither  be  deported  to  Germany  nor 
in  any  way  pressed  into  the  service  of  the  German  army. 
The  Cardinal,  during  the  course  of  his  visit,  requested  Von 

23 


24      CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


der  Goltz  to  ratify  this  agreement,  to  extend  its  application 
to  the  whole  country  and  to  guarantee  its  observance  by 
whoever  might  be  his  successor.  The  Governor  promised 
to  give  the  Cardinal's  wishes  his  favorable  consideration. 

The  very  next  day  the  Governor  General  in  person  went 
to  Malines  with  his  reply.  He  promised  to  use  all  the  in- 
fluence he  could  to  obtain  the  repatriation  of  deported 
priests  and  teachers.  As  regards  Von  Huene's  agreement, 
he  did  not  hesitate  to  ratify  it  and  extend  it  to  the  whole 
of  Belgium.  He  was  much  less  explicit  about  binding  his 
successor  to  any  course  of  action.  "We  have  no  use,"  he 
added,  "for  young  Belgians;  their  presence  in  our  ranks 
would  be  a  danger  to  us."  The  Governor  expressed  his 
wish  to  see  normal  life  restored  at  an  early  date.  The 
Cardinal  answered  that  it  was  his  wish  also,  but  that  the 
people  were  too  deeply  impressed  by  the  tragic  events  which 
had  marked  the  beginning  of  hostilities  to  allow  them  to 
feel  any  confidence.  He  insisted  particularly  on  the  arbi- 
trary proceedings  which  were  responsible  for  the  massacre 
of  one  hundred  and  forty  victims  at  Aerschot.  This  threw 
the  General  into  an  embarrassment  which  he  altogether 
failed  to  disguise.  The  interview  ended  with  the  mutually 
expressed  wish  to  see  the  schools  soon  reopened. 

On  December  3rd,  19 14,  Von  der  Goltz's  place  was 
taken  by  Von  Bissing.  Hardly  had  the  new  Governor  been 
appointed,  when  he  realized  that  the  task  he  had  under- 
taken, and  which  he  knew  to  be  a  hard  one,  would  be  made 
much  easier  for  him  if  he  succeeded  in  checking  the  growth 
of  any  hostility  on  the  part  of  the  Belgian  clergy  and  their 
superiors.  But  he  was  wary.  He  knew  how  unanimous  was 
the  feeling  of  Belgian  priests  and  bishops  in  face  of  the  in- 
vader ;  so  to  obtain  his  end  he  took  a  roundabout  way.  In- 
stead of  addressing  Mgr.  Mercier  directly,  he  wrote  to 
Cardinal  von  Hartmann,  Archbishop  of  Cologne,  whom  he 
had  known  for  a  long  time,  and  asked  him  to  intervene  in 
his  favor  with  the  Belgian  primate. 

The  following  is  the  letter  which  he  sent  to  him  on  the 
day  after  he  took  up  his  new  duties: 


RELATIONS  WITH  VON  BISSING  25 


The  Governor  General  of  Belgium, 

Brussels,  December  ^th,  19 14. 
To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  von  Hartmann,  Cologne  : 

Your  Eminence  will  have  heard,  no  doubt,  of  my  nomi- 
nation to  the  post  of  Governor  General  of  Belgium.  It  is 
a  mission  by  which  I  am  much  honored,  but  the  task  which 
I  have  undertaken  by  accepting  it  is  in  every  respect  a  diffi- 
cult one;  it  is  only  natural  then  that  I  should  try  to  find 
influential  persons  who,  though  they  may  not  be  able  to  sup- 
port me  in  the  fulfillment  of  this  duty,  yet  will  be  anxious 
not  to  increase  the  difficulties  of  it.  In  a  large  part  of 
Belgium  the  Catholic  clergy  represent  a  force  whose  impor- 
tance cannot  be  overrated;  therefore,  I  should  not  wish, 
to  ignore  negotiating  with  them  and  their  heads,  not  only 
in  the  interests  of  my  mission,  but  likewise  in  the  interest 
of  the  country  and  of  the  Catholic  population.  In  order  to 
pave  the  way  for  these  relations,  I  address  your  Eminence, 
asking  you  to  be  so  kind  as  to  inform  the  Cardinal  of 
Malines  that  I  should  be  very  pleased  to  enter  into  per- 
sonal relations  with  him,  whether  it  be  that  he  give  me  an 
opportunity  to  have  an  interview  with  him  at  Malines,  for 
so  long  as  the  time  at  my  disposal  allows,  or  that  he  will 
have  the  kindness  to  pay  me  a  visit  at  Brussels. 

I  hope  to  convince  him  during  our  interview  that  I  am 
determined  to  do  all  in  my  power  to  satisfy  the  claims  of 
the  Catholic  Church;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  I  expect  him 
to  recognize  the  earnest  wish  which  inspires  me  to  attach 
supreme  importance  to  alleviating  the  misery  which  present 
circumstances  have  created  in  Belgium,  though,  of  course, 
safeguarding  at  the  same  time  our  military  interests.  I  take 
the  liberty  to  inform  your  Eminence  that  the  head  chaplain, 
Doctor  Mittendorf,  came  yesterday;  his  mission  is  to  super- 
vise and  extend  the  work  of  the  Catholic  chaplains  and  to 
see  to  it  that  the  spiritual  wants  of  the  numerous  troops  of 
occupation  and  of  the  wounded  be  in  no  wise  neglected. 
The  Chaplain  General  has  received  the  needful  instructions 
from  the  Catholic  "Feldprobst"  ;  I  have  supplemented  them 
and,  in  agreement  with  his  superior,  I  have  recommended 


26      CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


him  to  get  into  touch  with  the  bishops  as  soon  as  possible 
in  the  course  of  his  tour  through  Belgium. 

I  expect  from  this  line  of  conduct  a  twofold  result:  I 
hope  that  my  intentions  and  my  actions  will  be  in  accord 
with  the  wishes  of  your  Eminence  and  also  promote  the 
general  weal. 

Wishing  to  convey  to  your  Eminence  my  profoundest 
respect,  I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  Eminence's  most  de- 
voted servant, 

The  Governor  General  of  Belgium, 
(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Cavalry  General. 

Cardinal  von  Hartmann  hastened  to  forward  to  Mgr. 
Mercier  the  letter  of  Von  Bissing,  to  which  he  gave  his 
warm  support: 

Cologne,  December  6th,  1 9 14. 
To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Ma- 
lines  : 

I  take  the  liberty  to  forward  to  your  Eminence  the  letter 
which  has  been  sent  to  me  by  the  new  Governor  General 
of  Belgium,  in  which  he  expresses  his  wish  to  have  an  inter- 
view with  your  Eminence.  I  desire  to  second  his  request 
as  warmly  as  possible.  This  interview  will  assuredly  be 
of  great  use,  for  the  General,  whom  I  have  had  the  honor  of 
knowing  for  a  long  time,  is  an  intelligent,  discreet,  just  and 
benevolent  man,  who  sincerely  feels  all  he  has  written  in 
his  letter,  and  whose  heart's  desire  will  be  to  respond  to 
the  wishes  of  the  bishops. 

On  my  part,  I  have  begged  him  earnestly  to  lay  to  heart 
the  following  points  : 

(  1  )  To  allow  the  Belgian  priests  who  have  been  found 
innocent  and  who  are  now  prisoners  in  German  camps  to 
return  to  Belgium. 

(2)  To  allow  the  Nunciature  free  communication  with 
the  Holy  See  and  with  the  bishops,  likewise  free  intercourse 
between  the  latter  and  Rome. 

(3)  To  facilitate  the  immediate  publication  in  Belgium 
of  the  Encyclical  of  November  1st. 


RELATIONS  WITH  VON  BISSING  27 


I  have  acquainted  the  competent  "Armée  Bischof"  with 
the  desires  of  your  Eminence,  which  I  have  most  earnestly 
indorsed,  concerning  the  spiritual  interests  of  Flemish  pris- 
oners. I  hope  he  will  manage  to  satisfy  claims  which  are  so 
justifiable.* 

If  I  can  still  be  of  any  use  to  your  Eminence  in  this  mat- 
ter, it  goes  without  saying  that  I  am  at  your  service  ;  I  am 
also  ready  to  do  all  in  my  power  to  lighten  your  cares. 

Respectfully  kissing  your  Eminence's  hand,  I  have  the 
honor  to  be  your  Eminence's  devoted  servant  in  the  Lord, 

(Signed)        Felix  Cardinal  von  Hartmann, 

Archbishop  of  Cologne. 

The  Cardinal  did  not  reply  till  December  28th  to  the 
letters  of  the  Governor  General  and  of  Cardinal  von  Hart- 
mann. Von  Bissing  did  not  wait  for  his  answer  before  he 
acquainted  him  with  the  fact  that  the  priests  who  had  been 
deported  to  Germany  were  to  be  set  at  liberty  at  an  early 
date  : 

General  Government  of  Belgium  Offices, 
Sekt.  Ic.  No.  456.  Brussels,  December  gth,  19 14. 

To  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines,  at  Malines: 

Following  on  the  note  which  has  been  forwarded  to  me 
by  the  head  of  the  civil  administration,  I  have  the  honor 
to  make  to  your  Eminence  the  following  communication: 

The  ministry  of  war  at  Berlin  has  given  orders  to  set 
at  liberty  all  priests  detained  in  Germany,  provided  no 
charge  has  been  made  against  them;  so  that  I  have  every 
reason  to  believe  that  priests  who  have  duties  as  teachers 
will  return  without  further  delay. 

As  regards  Count  Cornet  d'Elzius,  I  have  taken  the 
necessary  steps  with  the  competent  German  authorities.  I 
shall  not  fail  to  let  you  know  the  result.t 

The  Governor  General, 

(Signed)  Von  Bissing. 

Cavalry  General. 

♦Note — From  the  very  beginning  of  the  occupation  Mgr.  Mercier  had 
begged  Cardinal  von  Hartmann  to  use  his  influence  that  such  prisoners 
might  have  priests  knowing  Flemish  put  at  their  disposal. 

t  Note — The  Count  Cornet  d'Elzius  had  been  arrested  for  taking  up  in 
his  motorcar  an  Englishman  suspected  of  spying. 


28     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


In  reply  to  this  communication  the  Cardinal's  secretary, 
Very  Rev.  Canon  Vrancken,  sent  to  the  Governor  General 
a  note  to  call  his  attention  to  the  fact  that  his  Eminence 
was  also  interested  in  lay  teachers. 

Archbishop1  s  House }  Malines, 

December  i6th,  19 14. 
By  dispatch  dated  December  9th,  19 14,  Sekt.  Ic.  No. 
456,  His  Excellency  the  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  Gen- 
eral of  Belgium,  has  been  pleased  to  inform  His  Eminence 
the  Cardinal  Archbishop  of  Malines  that  by  a  decision  of 
the  ministry  of  war  at  Berlin  the  members  of  the  Belgian 
clergy  detained  in  Germany  will  be  set  at  liberty  at  an  early 
date,  on  condition  that  no  charge  has  been  made  against 
them. 

In  consequence,  His  Excellency  expresses  the  hope  that 
ecclesiastics  engaged  in  the  duties  of  teaching  will  be  soon 
set  at  liberty. 

But  it  is  not  in  these  alone  that  the  Cardinal  is  inter- 
ested. 

His  Excellency  had  asked,  besides  this,  for  the  liberation 
of  lay  teachers  in  primary  schools,  whom  Belgian  military 
law  puts  on  the  same  footing  as  members  of  the  clergy. 

The  absence  of  these  teachers  from  the  country  is  caus- 
ing great  difficulties  in  the  organization  of  the  people's  edu- 
cation. 

•  ••••• 

On  December  16th  the  Cardinal  had  at  Brussels  an  in- 
terview with  Von  Bissing.  On  the  following  day  the  latter 
repaired  to  Malines,  where  he  was  received  at  the  Arch- 
bishop's house.  In  the  course  of  these  two  interviews  the 
Governor  General  reiterated  the  sentiments  he  had  already 
manifested  in  his  letter  to  Cardinal  von  Hartmann.  He  in- 
sisted especially  on  the  desire  he  entertained  to  guard  the  re- 
ligious interests  of  Belgium,  but  he  expected  in  return  that 
the  Belgian  clergy  and  their  head  on  their  part  would  assume 
an  attitude,  if  not  friendly,  at  least  conciliatory.  He  had 
already,  he  said,  obtained  the  liberation  of  guiltless  priests 
deported  to  Germany;  he  now  intended  to  solicit  the  Im- 


RELATIONS  WITH  VON  BISSING  29 


perlai  Government  for  the  speedy  release  of  lay  teachers. 

In  order  to  show  his  good-will  toward  the  ecclesiastical 
authorities,  he  gave  the  Cardinal  every  facility  to  commu- 
nicate with  the  Belgian  suffragan  bishops. 

The  Cardinal  thanked  Von  Bissing  for  his  benevolent 
attitude,  but  called  his  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  Bel- 
gians, whatever  might  be  the  feelings  of  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral toward  them,  would  not  forget  the  horrors  which 
had  marked  the  beginning  of  the  invasion. 

Von  Bissing  cut  him  short.  He  said  that  he  could  not 
discuss  the  conduct  of  the  German  army,  which,  he  main- 
tained, was  fully  justified  by  the  attitude  of  the  Belgian 
people.  . 

There  was  discussed  also  a  report  of  the  commander 
at  Heidelberg  complaining  of  bad  treatment  by  the  Belgians 
of  German  doctors  who  were  prisoners,  and  threatening 
reprisals  on  the  Belgian  doctors  and  dispensers,  numbering 
about  thirty,  interned  in  that  town.  Von  Bissing  asked 
the  Cardinal  to  intervene  with  the  Belgian  Government  to 
put  an  end  to  this  abuse. 

Lastly,  he  offered  to  forward  to  Cardinal  von  Hart- 
mann the  answer  which  His  Eminence  would  be  pleased  to 
give  to  the  letter  written  by  the  former  on  December  6th. 

As  a  result  of  these  interviews,  the  Cardinal  sent  to  Von 
Bissing  the  following  letter  : 

Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

December  28th,  19 14. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels  : 

Sir — I  have  delayed  for  some  time  my  reply  to  Cardinal 
von  Hartmann's  letter  under  date  of  December  6th,  in 
which  my  most  Eminent  colleague  conveyed  to  me  the  ex- 
pression of  your  good-will  toward  Belgium.  Your  Excel- 
lency has  kindly  offered  to  forward  my  reply,  herewith  in- 
closed, to  its  destination. 

Since  the  above  date  I  have  had  the  honor  of  entering 
into  personal  communication  with  your  Excellency,  and,  as 
the  Cardinal  of  Cologne  led  me  to  expect,  I  can  only  express 


3o      CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


myself  as  satisfied  with  the  dispositions  made  by  your  Excel- 
lency in  regard  to  myself  and  in  regard  to  the  matters  I  had 
the  opportunity  and  the  honor  to  commend  to  your  notice. 

In  particular,  I  thank  your  Excellency  for  having  noti- 
fied me  of  the  release  from  imprisonment  of  the  guiltless 
priests  deported  to  Germany,  and  I  trust  you  will  continue 
your  efforts  to  bring  about  also  the  release  of  our  school- 
masters, who,  as  I  have  had  the  honor  of  pointing  out  to 
your  Excellency,  cannot  be  put  in  the  same  category  as  pris- 
oners of  war. 

I  am  thankful  to  your  Excellency  for  having  granted  me 
authority  to  communicate  with  the  suffragan  bishops  of  Bel- 
gium whenever  I  may  judge  it  useful,  and  I  am  gratified 
also  to  know  that  you  have  consented  to  take  steps  on  be- 
half of  Count  Cornet  d'Elzius,  although  these  steps  have  so 
far  been  without  result. 

On  my  own  side,  I  am  still  desirous  of  negotiating  with 
my  Government  in  order  to  satisfy  the  Commandant  of 
Heidelberg,  who  complains  of  cruelties  inflicted  on  certain 
German  doctors  and  who  threatens  reprisals,  as  your  Excel- 
lency will  remember,  on  the  thirty  Belgian  doctors  and  dis- 
pensers interned  at  Heidelberg.  But  to  render  any  steps 
of  mine  effective,  I  ought  to  know  who  these  German  doc- 
tors are  that  underwent  these  indignities  and  when  and 
where  they  underwent  them.* 

Your  Excellency  has  made  it  your  business  to  assure  me 
of  the  sincerity  of  your  good-will  toward  Belgium.  As  a 
soldier,  you  will  understand  how  anxious  I  am  to  give  ex- 
pression in  my  own  turn  to  the  feelings  with  which  I  am 
animated  toward  yourself.  My  esteem  for  your  Excel- 
lency's person,  my  gratefulness  for  the  care  which  you 
manifest  for  the  religious  interests  of  the  country,  are 
deeply  sincere,  as  also  is  my  desire,  as  far  as  in  me  lies,  to 
lighten  and  in  no  way  to  aggravate  the  burden  of  your 
charge  and  its  responsibilities.  Nevertheless,  I  regard  it 
as  my  strict  duty  in  the  interests  of  truth  to  add  that,  no 
matter  what  the  personal  dispositions  of  Baron  von  Bissing 
may  be,  the  Governor  General  represents  amongst  us  here  a 

*  Editor's  Note — The  Governor  General  never  furnished  any  details. 


RELATIONS  WITH  VON  BISSING  31 


usurping  and  hostile  nation,  in  whose  presence  we  assert  our 
right  to  independence  and  respect  for  our  neutrality.  Fur- 
ther, as  guardian  of  the  moral  and  religious  interests  of 
Belgium,  I  protest  against  the  acts  of  injustice  and  violence 
of  which  my  compatriots  have  been  the  innocent  victims. 

In  the  letter  to  Cardinal  von  Hartmann,  herewith  in- 
closed and  which  I  invite  your  Excellency  to  read,  I,  as  a 
Belgian  citizen  and  a  bishop  of  the  Belgian  Church,  give 
free  rein  to  the  indignation  aroused  in  me  by  the  words 
spoken  by  the  Imperial  Chancellor  and  by  his  travesty  of 
the  truth. 

Kindly  accept,  Governor  General,  the  expression  of  my 
respect. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  following  is  Cardinal  Mercier's  letter  to  Cardinal 
von  Hartmann  inclosed  with  the  foregoing: 

Archbishop's  House,  Malines, 

December  28th,  1914. 
To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  von  Hartmann,  Archbishop  of 
Cologne. 

Most  Eminent  Lord — The  very  kind  letter  dated  De- 
cember 6th,  with  which  your  Eminence  honored  me,  gave 
me  lively  pleasure  and  most  sincerely  do  I  thank  you  for 
the  same. 

I  greatly  appreciated  at  the  time  the  steps  taken  by  your 
Eminence  to  secure  for  the  Belgian  and  French  priests  im- 
prisoned in  Germany  the  same  treatment  as  is  accorded  to 
officers. 

Your  Eminence's  intervention  on  behalf  of  the  guilt- 
less ecclesiastics  imprisoned  at  Munsterlager  and  at  Celle 
has  been  successful.  All  the  priests  belonging  to  a  religious 
order,  except  two,  have  been  set  free.  I  have  not  yet  been 
authorized  to  send  priests  to  minister  to  our  compatriots 
imprisoned  in  Germany,  but  your  letter  to  the  "Armee 
Bischof"  gives  me  every  confidence  that  on  this  point  also 
we  shall  at  length  obtain  satisfaction. 


32     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


I  had  the  honor  of  interviewing  at  Brussels  and  of  re- 
ceiving later  at  Malines  his  Excellency  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral, Baron  von  Bissing. 

He  appeared  to  me  to  be  all  that  your  Eminence  had 
described  and  such  as  he  represented  himself  in  the  letter 
you  had  the  goodness  to  acquaint  me  of.  I  mean  that  he  is 
a  man  both  just  and  prudent,  and  truly  anxious  as  well  to 
further  rather  than  obstruct  the  interests  of  religion  in 
Catholic  Belgium.  He  himself  has  had  the  kindness  to 
inform  me  of  the  release  of  our  imprisoned  priests,  and  he 
gives  me  grounds  for  expecting  the  speedy  return  to  free- 
dom of  our  lay  schoolmasters.  Further,  he  has  accorded 
me  every  facility  for  seeing  my  fellow  bishops. 

In  my  view,  he  has  accurately  defined  the  terms  upon 
which  the  relations  between  Belgians  and  himself  become 
possible  and  desirable.  Without  expecting  to  be  welcomed 
as  a  friend,  he  requests  all,  more  especially  the  religious 
authorities,  not  to  render  his  task  heavier  than  it  is.  On 
this  point  I  am  in  full  accord  with  the  Governor  General. 
As  in  the  first  days  of  the  war  we  counseled  our  faithful 
to  refrain  from  all  hostile  acts  against  the  enemy's  army, 
so  now  at  this  moment  we  recommend  them  to  abide  by 
the  military  regulations  in  so  far  as  these  wound  neither 
our  consciences  as  Christians  nor  our  feelings  as  patriots. 

Nevertheless,  it  must  be  clearly  understood  that,  though 
for  the  moment  we  thus  bend  to  the  yoke  of  a  power  which 
is  stronger  than  ourselves,  we  proudly  decline  to  waive  our 
rights  or  our  unshakable  confidence  in  the  future. 

It  must  be  stated,  furthermore,  that  the  comparative 
good-will  shown  to  us  at  present  in  no  wise  atones  for  the 
outrages  to  which  Belgians  have  been  so  cruelly  subjected. 
When  the  Imperial  Chancellor  in  his  speech  on  December 
2d  dared  to  say,  "We  shall  remember  after  the  war  the 
wrongs  done  to  our  defenseless  compatriots  in  enemy  lands, 
wrongs  which  clash  with  all  the  laws  of  civilization,"  he 
went  beyond  all  bounds;  and  in  so  far  as  these  words  were 
aimed  at  Belgium  he  uttered  a  monstrous  lie. 

I  am  personally  acquainted  with  hundreds  who  have 
been  the  victims  of  wrongs  contrary  to  all  the  laws  of  civili- 


RELATIONS  WITH  VON  BISSING  33 


zation  and  I  am  in  possession  of  details  which  would  make 
any  fair-minded  man  shudder — horrors  indeed  which  recall 
the  pagan  persecutions  of  the  three  first  centuries  of  the 
Church.  I  was  loath  to  believe  these  stories  before  I  per- 
sonally had  made  an  unbiased  and  now  completed  investiga- 
tion of  them. 

The  evidence  has  been  overwhelming;  and  on  my  oath 
I  affirm  that  up  to  the  present  hour  I  have  been  unable 
to  establish  one  single  act  of  savagery  inflicted  by  a  Belgian 
civilian  on  a  German  soldier,  while,  on  the  other  hand,  I 
am  aware  of  hundreds  of  acts  of  cruelty  "clashing  with  all 
the  laws  of  civilization"  committed  by  German  soldiers  on 
innocent  Belgians.  Your  Eminence  will  understand  that 
patriotism  and  justice  impose  upon  me  the  duty  to  go  on 
protesting  against  these  crimes  until  they  have  been  pun- 
ished; and  I  will  add  that  if  you  were  in  possession  of  all 
the  evidence  that  I  have  gathered,  your  own  sense  of 
righteousness  would  compel  you  to  unite  your  protest  to 
ours. 

Accept,  Most  Eminent  Lord,  with  the  expression  of  my 
thanks,  the  homage  of  respect  and  religious  devotedness. 
(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Editor's  Note — Von  Bissing  refused  to  forward  this  letter  to  its  destina- 
tion. He  openly  admits  this  in  a  letter  to  the  Cardinal  dated  December  31st, 
which  is  given  in  full  in  the  chapter  dealing  with  the  pastoral  "Patriotism 
and  Endurance." 


CHAPTER  II 


THE  CARDINAL  ASKS  VON  BISSING'S  AUTHORITY  TO  SEND 
BELGIAN  PRIESTS  INTO  PRISONERS*  CAMPS 
IN  GERMANY 

Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

December  i6th,  19 14. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General 
of  Belgium. 

Your  Excellency — The  numerous  Belgian  prisoners  of 
war  in  Germany,  notwithstanding  the  priestly  care  which 
the  German  clergy  may  be  lavishing  on  them,  are,  on  ac- 
count of  their  ignorance  of  the  language,  deprived  of  re- 
ligious succor. 

A  sound  organization  of  the  care  of  souls  would  re- 
quire the  sending  to  Germany,  for  the  term  of  hostilities, 
of  a  few  Belgian  priests  conversant  with  both  our  national 
languages. 

As  your  Excellency  is  concerned  about  the  religious  in- 
terests of  our  people,  would  you  not  consent  to  take  steps 
with  the  Imperial  Government  to  obtain  for  some  of  our 
priests  authorization  to  attend  to  our  prisoners? 

For  this  I  should  be  extremely  obliged  to  you. 

Kindly  accept,  your  Excellency,  the  expression  of  my 
highest  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Editor's  Note — This  letter  remained  without  an  answer.  Later  von 
Bissing  informed  the  Cardinal  that  the  steps  which  he  had  taken  at  head- 
quarters to  comply  with  His  Eminence's  request  had  not  been  successful. 


34 


CHAPTER  III 


SALARIES  OF  THE  CLERGY 

In  order  to  obtain  their  salaries,  the  officials  of  the 
Belgian  state  who  remained  at  their  posts  under  the  German 
occupation  had  to  sign  a  declaration  by  which  they  pledged 
themselves  not  to  undertake  or  omit  anything  which  could 
embarrass  the  German  administration  in  occupied  Belgian 
territory.  The  Governor  General  wanted  to  subject  priests 
to  the  same  formality.  The  Cardinal  fought  against  this 
energetically;  he  drew  attention  to  the  fact  that  ministers 
of  worship  in  Belgium  are  not  officials  and  that  their  salaries 
were  paid  them  by  way  of  compensation.  Von  Bissing  re- 
plied that  he  did  not  share  in  this  view,  but  that  he  would 
nevertheless  be  satisfied  with  a  declaration  from  the  Car- 
dinal that  the  Belgian  bishops  had  no  intention  of  disturb- 
ing public  order.  He  would  consider  this  pledge  as  bind- 
ing the  whole  body  of  the  Belgian  clergy. 

The  following  are  the  letters  exchanged  on  this  subject 
between  the  Cardinal  and  the  German  administration  : 

Brussels,  December  2$th,  19 14. 
The  Chief  Administrator  Attached  to  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral of  Belgium. 
Order  No.  11a  1057. 
To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Malines. 

I  inclose  for  your  Eminence's  perusal  a  copy  of  a  com- 
munication made  to  the  ministry  of  justice.  I  would  re- 
quest your  Eminence  to  take  all  the  necessary  steps  to  make 
the  members  of  the  Catholic  clergy  sign  the  declarations 
which  are  the  subject  of  the  inclosed  communication.  If 

35 


36     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 

your  Eminence  will  consent  to  sign  this  declaration,  I  would 
ask  you  to  send  it  on  to  me  and  immediately  to  notify  the 
official  whose  duty  it  is  to  pay  you  your  salary.  I,  likewise, 
would  ask  you  to  carry  out  these  same  instructions  in  the 
case  of  the  higher  clergy. 

The  declarations  of  the  other  ecclesiastics  are  to  be  col- 
lected and  sent  to  the  competent  agent  of  the  treasury  and 
to  the  official  in  charge  of  the  payment  of  salaries. 

A  list  of  the  names  of  such  ecclesiastics  as  have  signed 
the  declaration  must  be  drawn  up  in  the  same  order  as  ap- 
pears on  the  pay  list.  This  list  must  be  sent  to  me.  Your 
Eminence  will  also  be  kind  enough  to  compile  and  forward 
me  a  list  of  the  ecclesiastics  whose  salaries  are  not  to  be 
paid. 

Concerning  the  drawing  up  of  the  pay  lists,  I  would  ask 
your  Eminence  to  come  to  an  understanding  with  the  provin- 
cial presidents  of  those  German  civil  administrations  who 
exercise  their  functions  in  your  diocese. 

For  the  Governor  General, 
(  Signature  illegible  ) . 

The  following  communication  was  inclosed  with  the 
preceding  letter: 

Brussels,  December  2$th,  19 14. 
In  view  of  the  fact  that  ecclesiastical  salaries  are  rela- 
tively small  and  that,  in  consequence  of  the  war,  a  great 
many  ministers  of  worship  have  had  every  other  source  of 
income  considerably  diminished,  I  consent  to  the  priests  be- 
ing paid  their  salaries  in  full,  so  long  as  they  have  not  been 
paid  from  other  sources,  viz.  :  in  the  provinces  of  Brabant, 
Hainault,  Namur,  Limbourg,  Liege  and  Luxemburg,  from 
September  1st,  19 14,  and  in  the  provinces  of  the  two  Flan- 
ders and  of  Antwerp  from  October  1st.  The  proposal  to 
pay  ecclesiastics  their  salaries  even  in  part  from  July  1st, 
19 14,  cannot  be  entertained,  as  by  this  arrangement  they 
are  already  privileged  in  comparison  with  all  those  who  are 
ordinarily  receiving  remuneration  from  the  state;  for  the 
German  Government  has  only  taken  in  hand  the  adminis- 


SALARIES  OF  THE  CLERGY 


tration  of  the  state  revenue  of  Belgium  since  September 
ist,  for  a  part  of  Belgium,  and  from  October  ist  for  the 
other  part.  In  consequence,  it  is  impossible  for  it  to  pay 
the  salaries  of  the  preceding  months. 

To  receive  their  salaries,  ecclesiastics  must  sign  the  fol- 
lowing formal  pledge  : 

"Not  to  undertake  anything  against  the  German  admin- 
istration in  the  occupied  Belgian  territories  and  to  avoid 
anything  that  could  in  any  way  prejudice  its  interests. " 

Those  ecclesiastics  who  have  resigned  or  who  have 
abandoned  their  posts,  or  who  through  force  of  circum- 
stances are  hindered  from  filling  them,  shall  not  receive 
their  salaries.  The  same  applies  to  those  who  have  received 
their  salaries  from  other  sources.  The  ecclesiastics  must  give 
the  agent  of  the  treasury,  or  the  official  in  charge,  a  written 
declaration  testifying  that  they  have  not  yet  been  paid. 

Those  ecclesiastics  who  shall  act  contrary  to  their 
pledges  will  be  punished  according  to  the  laws  of  war  and 
will  be  deprived  of  all  further  salary. 

I  have  communicated  the  present  order  to  His  Emi- 
nence Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines,  to  the 
bishops  of  Bruges,  Ghent,  Liege,  Namur  and  Tournay,  to 
the  presidents  of  the  synods  of  the  Protestant  churches,  to 
the  council  of  administration  of  the  Free  Protestant  Church, 
to  the  central  committee  of  the  Anglican  Church  and  the 
chief  rabbi  of  Brussels.  I  have  asked  them  to  take  the 
necessary  steps  to  collect  the  declarations  of  the  ministers 
of  worship  and  to  hand  them  over  to  the  officers  whose 
duty  it  is  to  pay  the  salaries. 

I  inclose  with  this  communication  the  pay  lists  of  the 
clergy  of  East  Flanders,  requesting  that  the  order  may  be 
carried  out.  For  the  other  provinces,  I  have  given  orders 
to  the  various  presidents  of  the  German  civil  administration 
to  arrange  with  the  ecclesiastical  authorities  about  drawing 
up  the  pay  lists.  As  soon  as  these  reach  me,  I  will  hand 
them  over  to  the  minister  of  justice. 

For  the  Governor  General, 
(Signature  illegible). 


38     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Archbishop's  House,  Malines, 

January  27th,  19 15. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — A  communication  from  your  administration  in- 
forms us  that  the  German  Government  of  the  occupied  part 
of  the  country  offers  to  arrange  for  the  payment  of  the 
clergy's  salaries  from  September  1st  or  October  1st,  19 14, 
but  on  condition  that  the  various  members  of  the  clergy 
sign  a  declaration  by  which  they  pledge  themselves  not  to 
undertake  anything  and  to  refrain  from  everything  which 
might  be  prejudicial  to  the  German  administration. 

Certain  considerations  which  have,  I  believe,  escaped 
the  civil  administrator's  notice  will  make  the  juridical  and 
legal  status  of  the  Belgian  clergy  clear,  and  will,  I  feel  sure, 
receive  your  Excellency's  attention. 

First.   Ministers  of  worship  are  not  state  functionaries. 

Second.  Their  salaries  are  paid  them  as  an  indem- 
nity in  compensation  for  confiscated  ecclesiastical  prop- 
erty. 

The  members,  therefore,  of  the  clergy  neither  take  an 
oath  nor  give  even  a  pledge  to  the  Belgian  Government, 
but  are  merely  subject,  like  ordinary  citizens,  to  the  gen- 
eral laws  of  the  country. 

First.  I  said,  your  Excellency,  that  ministers  of  wor- 
ship in  Belgium  are  not  public  functionaries. 

Our  Court  of  Appeal  has  explicitly  recognized  this  in 
its  decree  of  March  4th,  1847,  in  which  it  affirms  that  by 
virtue  of  their  office  ministers  of  worship  have  no  execu- 
tive authority,  nor  do  they  exercise  any.  In  fact,  only  those 
can  be  regarded  as  such,  says  the  decree,  who  either  directly 
or  indirectly  are  delegated  by  the  law  or  by  the  Govern- 
ment to  exercise  any  kind  of  authority;  and  ministers  of 
religion  have  certainly  no  function  of  this  nature. 

Second.  I  added  that  the  salaries  are  paid  to  ministers 
on  the  ground  of  indemnity.  In  the  terms  of  Article  117 
of  the  Belgian  Constitution,  "salaries  and  pensions  of  min- 
isters of  worship  are  charged  to  the  State;  the  neces- 


SALARIES  OF  THE  CLERGY 


sary  sums  to  meet  these  are  included  in  each  year's 
budget." 

The  discussions  preceding  the  framing  of  this  article 
show  that  the  Congress  looked  upon  salaries  and  pensions 
for  the  clergy  as  a  compensation  on  the  grounds  of  in- 
demnity for  the  ancient  privileges  of  which  the  Catholic 
Church  was  deprived  at  the  time  of  the  confiscation  of 
ecclesiastical  property. 

From  the  very  beginning  of  our  national  independence, 
His  Highness  the  Prince  de  Mean,  Archbishop  of  Malines, 
anxious  to  guarantee  to  the  Catholic  religion  that  full  and 
entire  liberty  which  alone  can  secure  for  it  peace  and  pros- 
perity, wrote  to  the  National  Congress  as  follows:  uThe 
State  has  appropriated  ecclesiastical  property  only  with  the 
obligation  of  providing  adequately  for  the  cost  of  public 
worship  and  the  maintenance  of  its  ministers;  as  witness 
the  first  article  of  the  French  law  of  November  2d,  1789. 
The  Holy  See  on  its  side  only  ratified  the  alienation  in 
the  interests  of  peace,  expressly  stipulating  that  the  Gov- 
ernment should  undertake  to  provide  the  clergy  with  a 
competent  salary,  as  evidenced  both  by  the  13th  and  14th 
articles  of  the  Concordat  of  1801,  as  also  by  the  Bulls 
referring  to  these.  In  order  to  provide  against  unjust 
preferences  and  on  the  plea  of  these  salaries,  to  prevent 
any  agent  of  the  executive  power  from  interfering  with 
the  free  exercise  of  public  worship  by  bringing  to  bear 
any  illegitimate  influence  on  the  opinions  and  conduct  of 
ecclesiastics,  it  would  be  needful  that  the  apportionment 
of  these  subsidies  be  fixed  by  law."  * 

In  fact,  the  legal  Government  has  never  exacted  from 
the  clergy  a  declaration  antecedent  to  any  payment  of  sala- 
ries. If  the  German  Government  were  to  exact  it,  it  would 
impose  on  the  clergy  a  status  inferior  to  that  guaranteed 
them  by  the  Belgian  Constitution. 

I  firmly  trust  that  the  Governor  General  will  give  his 
fair-minded  attention  to  the  views  herewith  exposed  and 
will  admit  their  soundness. 

*  See  the  discussions  of  the  National  Congress,  by  Huyttens,  Vol.  i,  p. 
525. 


4o     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


I  beg  your  Excellency  to  receive  the  expression  of  my 
greatest  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Archbishop's  House,  Malines, 

February  qth,  19 15. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — Since  I  have  the  opportunity,*  may  I  remind  your 
Excellency  of  my  letter  of  January  27th  relative  to  the 
salaries  of  the  clergy?  My  colleagues  in  the  episcopate, 
whose  ideas  as  well  as  my  own  I  gave  expression  to,  are  as 
anxious  as  myself  to  find  a  solution.  When  I  say  my  col- 
leagues, I  must  make  a  reservation  in  the  case  of  the 
Bishop  of  Tournay,  who  finds  it  materially  impossible  to 
communicate  his  views  to  us. 

Believe  me,  your  Excellency,  I  feel  sure  it  is  superfluous 
for  me  to  make  this  declaration  that  the  Belgian  bishops 
have  no  designs  against  public  order.  If  ever  a  member 
of  the  clergy  forgot  his  duty  on  this  point,  or  if  the  German 
authorities  were  to  consider  him  as  having  done  so,  we  only 
make  one  request,  viz.,  that  the  case  be  brought  to  the 
notice  of  the  bishop  of  the  diocese  to  which  such  a  one 
may  happen  to  belong. 

Receive,  my  dear  Governor  General,  the  assurance  of 
my  very  high  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Governor  General  of  Belgium* s  Office, 

Brussels,  February  17th,  19 15. 
To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Malines. 

I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  your  Eminence's  es- 
teemed letters  of  January  28th  and  February  9th. 

I  cannot  entertain  the  views  which  your  Eminence  puts 
forward  in  your  first  letter.  It  is  a  question  of  a  measure 
arising  out  of  the  war.   This  measure  in  no  wise  affects  the 

*  Note — His  Eminence  at  the  same  time  was  writing  to  the  Governor 
General  to  intercede  on  behalf  of  the  cure  of  Forrières.    (See  below.) 


SALARIES  OF  THE  CLERGY 


position  of  the  clergy  in  regard  to  the  State  as  laid  down 
by  the  Belgian  Constitution  and  Legislature.  Moreover, 
it  in  no  wise  constitutes  a  precedent.  On  the  conclusion  of 
the  war  it  loses  all  its  force. 

To  prove  that  I  was  within  my  rights  in  subordinating 
the  payment  of  salaries  to  the  signing  of  the  proposed  decla- 
ration, I  might  adduce  the  fact  that  already  a  number  of 
the  clergy,  among  them  a  bishop  with  all  his  chapter,  have 
professed  themselves  in  agreement  with  my  way  of  thinking. 

In  your  very  esteemed  letter  of  the  9th  instant,  your 
Eminence  has  declared  that  the  Belgian  hierarchy  disclaims 
any  intention  of  disturbing  public  order.  The  maintenance 
of  public  order  constitutes  my  duty.  Since,  in  view  of  the 
position  of  the  episcopate  in  the  Catholic  Church,  I  am 
enabled  to  look  upon  the  declaration  of  your  Eminence  as 
binding  the  whole  clergy,  I  have  great  pleasure  in  inform- 
ing you  that  I  waive  all  claims  to  a  personal  declaration 
from  each  member  of  the  clergy. 

I  offer  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  highest 
esteem,  and  I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  Eminence's  most 
devoted  servant. 

(Signed)  Freiherr  von  Bissing, 

Governor  General. 

Archbishop1  s  House,  M  alines, 

February  igth,  191 5. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

I  have  received  the  letter  with  which  your  Excellency 
honored  me  on  February  17th  in  answer  to  my  communi- 
cations of  January  28th  and  February  9th. 

Yesterday  I  had  the  opportunity  of  meeting  my  revered 
colleagues  of  the  Belgian  hierarchy  at  Tournay.  They  have 
begged  me  to  become  their  spokesman  with  your  Excellency 
and  to  express  to  you  our  lively  satisfaction  and  our  heart- 
felt gratitude. 

Kindly  accept  the  expression  of  my  very  high  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 


42     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Archbishop1  s  House,  Matines, 

March  ist,  19 15. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

It  has  come  to  my  knowledge  that  your  Excellency  has 
not  received  the  letter  which  I  had  the  honor  to  address 
to  you  on  February  19th.  It  was,  however,  sent  to  you  by 
registered  post  as  is  proved  by  the  inclosed  receipt. 

The  following  is  the  text  of  what  I  then  wrote. 

(Here  follows  text  of  the  preceding  letter.) 

I  present  again  to  your  Excellency  the  expression  of 
my  very  high  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  Governor  General  of  Belgium , 

Brussels,  March  3rd,  191 5. 
To   His   Eminence    Cardinal    Mercier,    Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

In  reply  to  the  esteemed  letter  of  your  Eminence  dated 
the  ist  of  this  month,  I  have  the  honor  to  inform  you  that 
your  letter  of  February  19th  reached  me  in  a  regular  man- 
ner through  the  post. 

If  I  have  delayed  answering,  it  is  because  I  desired  to 
add  to  the  thanks  which  I  owe  your  Eminence  for  your 
last  letter  the  announcement  that  the  payment  of  ecclesiasti- 
cal salaries  is  secure.  I  had  given  orders  to  the  head  of 
the  administration  to  advise  me  of  it.  It  is  only  today  that 
he  has  informed  me  that  it  is  an  accomplished  fact. 

I  rejoice  to  be  able  to  make  this  communication  to  your 
Eminence;  at  the  same  time  I  beg  you  to  accept  my  warm 
thanks  for  your  kind  letters  of  February  19th  and  March 
ist,  as  well  as  my  regret  for  the  delay  I  have  taken  in 
answering. 

I  offer  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  highest 
esteem  and  I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  most  devoted 
servant. 

(Signed)  Freiherr  von  Bissing, 

Generaloberst. 


CHAPTER  IV 


VON  BISSING  COMPLAINS  TO  THE  CARDINAL  ABOUT  THE 
MANNER  IN  WHICH  THE  FRENCH  TREAT  GERMAN 
OFFICER  PRISONERS 

Office  of  the  Governor  General  of  Belgium. 

Brussels ,  December  31st,  19 14. 

Sekt.  Ic.  No.  1459. 

To   His   Eminence   Cardinal   Mercier,   Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

I  have  the  honor  in  reply  to  the  esteemed  letter  ad- 
dressed to  my  predecessor  on  November  29th  *  to  make  to 
your  Eminence  the  following  communication  : 

It  has  often  happened  that  German  doctors  who  have 
been  made  prisoners  by  the  French  have  reported  on  their 
return  from  captivity  the  ignominious  treatment  which  had 
been  inflicted  on  German  officer  prisoners.  These  reports 
have  been  communicated  to  all  the  Belgian  and  French 
officer  prisoners  in  Germany  in  order  that  they  make  take 
up  the  matter  with  the  proper  authorities  in  their  respec- 
tive countries  with  a  view  to  ameliorating  the  conditions  of 
the  German  officers  and  thus  to  avoid  eventual  reprisals  on 
the  part  of  the  German  Government.  These  reports  have 
been  read  at  the  same  time  to  the  Belgian  ecclesiastics  who 
are  in  the  camp  at  Celle.  No  measures  of  reprisals  have 
so  far  been  taken. 

I  inclose  with  my  letter  a  copy  of  one  of  these  reports 
which  have  arrived  here,  with  the  observation  that  the 
bad  treatment  which  is  mentioned  therein  must  have  been 
meanwhile  mitigated  in  consequence  of  diplomatic  repre- 
sentations. 

The  Governor  General. 
(Signed)  von  Bissing, 

Cavalry  General. 

•Note — This  letter  has  never  been  found. 

43 


44     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


The  following  note  accompanied  the  Governor's  letter  : 

The  head  doctor,  Ter  Peek,  who  was  a  prisoner  for 
some  time  in  the  camp  at  Fougères  and  who,  since  his  re- 
lease, has  been  doing  duty  as  head  doctor  with  the  regiment 
of  the  Landwehr,  No.  74,  reports  as  follows  about  the  in- 
stallations in  that  camp  and  the  manner  in  which  German 
officer  prisoners  are  treated  there: 

"During  their  removal  from  the  camp  they  were  exposed 
to  the  insults  of  the  mob,  measures  for  their  protection  were 
altogether  inadequate.  Their  military  equipment  has  been 
taken  from  them — their  caps,  gaiters,  etc. — and  instead  of 
these  they  have  been  given  nightcaps  and  very  shabby  civil- 
ian clothes. 

"Again,  in  the  camp  they  were  exposed  to  the  jeers 
of  the  mob;  the  commandant  at  the  camp  is  unable  to  pro- 
tect them.  The  accommodation  leaves  much  to  be  desired. 
The  rooms  cannot  be  warmed  and  the  officers  have  to  clean 
them  out  themselves.  For  beds  they  have  only  sacks  of  straw 
to  lie  on  without  any  bedclothes.  There  are  no  sanitary 
arrangements.  Their  food  is  insufficient  and  of  inferior 
quality  and  yet  the  officers  only  receive  eighty  centimes  of 
their  pay  on  the  plea  that  the  rest  is  kept  for  their  main- 
tenance." 

These  reports  show  that  it  is  very  urgent  that  steps 
should  be  taken  to  put  a  stop  to  this  infamous  treatment. 

In  reply  to  this  letter,  the  Cardinal  asked  for  details 
which  were  never  forthcoming. 


CHAPTER  V 


THE  PASTORAL  LETTER 
PATRIOTISM  AND  ENDURANCE 

The  sentiments  which  the  Cardinal  showed  toward  Von 
Bissing  in  his  letter  of  December  28th,  19 14,  were  ex- 
pressed publicly  by  him  in  the  pastoral  letter  of  January 
1st,  19 1 5,  entitled  "Patriotism  and  Endurance. "  He  rec- 
ommended the  faithful  to  abstain  from  hostile  acts  against 
the  enemy  army,  to  have  that  regard  for  the  occupying 
power  which  the  common  weal  demanded  and  to  respect 
the  regulations  imposed  so  long  as  they  did  not  interfere 
either  with  liberty  of  conscience  or  offend  their  patriotic 
feelings.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  he  solemnly  affirmed 
that  this  power  had  no  legitimate  authority  and  that  con- 
sequently they  were  not  bound  in  their  inmost  souls  to 
show  such  a  power  esteem,  loyalty  or  obedience.  "The 
only  legitimate  power  in  Belgium,"  he  added,  "is  that  which 
belongs  to  our  king,  his  government  and  the  representatives 
of  the  nation.  He  alone  has  a  right  to  the  affection  of  our 
hearts  and  to  our  submission;  for  us,  he  alone  represents 
authority." 

Copies  of  this  letter,  issuing  from  the  press  of  Mons. 
Dessain,  the  archbishop's  printer,  were  taken  to  the  various 
deaneries  of  the  diocese  by  the  seminarists  leaving  Malines 
for  the  Christmas  holidays.  A  note  accompanying  the 
pastoral  enjoined  the  priests  to  read  the  whole  of  it  to 
the  faithful  "without  omitting  or  erasing  any  part  of  it  in 
spite  of  any  orders  to  the  contrary  that  might  be  issued  by 
any  other  power." 

In  many  churches  the  first  part  of  the  letter  was  read 
on  Friday,  January  1st. 

45 


46     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


The  Cardinal's  words,  so  courageous  and  so  comfort- 
ing, had  a  tremendous  effect,  so  that  the  German  authori- 
ties intervened  without  delay.  On  January  2d,  at  6:15 
a.  m.,  three  envoys  of  the  Governor  General,  among  them 
Baron  von  der  Lancken,  head  of  the  political  department, 
presented  themselves  at  the  Archbishop's  House  and  asked 
to  speak  to  the  Cardinal. 

His  Eminence  happened  to  be  in  the  chapel  preparing 
to  celebrate  high  mass.  They  called  for  him  and  he  went 
to  the  parlor  where  the  visitors  were  waiting. 

Von  der  Lancken  began  the  interview.  "Your  Emi- 
nence," said  he,  uwe  come  on  behalf  of  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral to  tell  you  of  his  surprise  at  the  pastoral  which  you 
have  issued  to  the  clergy  and  to  the  faithful.  His  Ex- 
cellency thought  he  had  reason  to  expect  from  your  Emi- 
nence, if  not  sympathy,  at  least  co-operation  in  appeasing  the 
people.  Your  Eminence  had  led  him  to  believe  that  such 
were  your  dispositions. " 

The  Cardinal  answered:  "You  tell  me  that  his  Excel- 
lency is  astonished.    Astonished  at  what?" 

"At  certain  passages  where  your  Eminence  excites  the 
people  against  Germany." 

"Gentlemen, "  replied  the  Cardinal,  "you  are  very  much 
mistaken.  If  you  have  read  my  letter,  you  must  agree  that 
it  is  of  a  pacifying  character.  But  you  cannot  ignore  the 
fact  that  our  people  have  undergone  great  sufferings;  and 
when  our  people  and  our  clergy  suffer  I  suffer  as  much  as 
they  and  it  is  my  duty  to  tell  them  so." 

"But  there  are  words  which  have  a  tendency  to  excite 
the  people." 

"Have  you  read  the  letter?" 

"Yes;  you  say  that  one  owes  neither  loyalty  nor  sub- 
mission to  authority." 

"I  beg  your  pardon;  I  say,  on  the  contrary,  that  one 
owes  loyalty  and  attachment  to  legitimate  authority.  But 
I  say  that  an  occupying  power  is  not  a  legitimate  authority; 
to  such  a  power  one  owes  respect  and  abstention  from  every 
act  of  hostility.  Moreover,  I  have  not  waited  for  your 
visit  to  enjoin  the  faithful  to  abstain  from  all  hostile  acts, 


THE  PASTORAL  LETTER  47 


for  as  far  back  as  the  month  of  August  I  gave  instructions  to 
this  effect  and  recommended  respect  for  the  military 
authorities." 

"Still,  there  are  in  the  letter  words  which  tend  to  ex- 
cite them  against  the  German  authorities." 

"You  must  take  the  letter  as  a  whole  and  not  pick  it 
to  pieces.  Taken  as  a  whole,  the  letter  preaches  patience 
and  submission  so  long  as  the  present  sufferings  last." 

"The  Governor  wishes  to  have  an  explanation." 

"I  will  give  the  Governor  the  explanation  he  wants. 
Besides  I  have  already  written  to  him.  I  had  reason  to 
fear  that  mutual  courtesy  between  individuals  might  give 
rise  to  misunderstandings.  I  have  therefore  written  to 
him:  'Dear  Governor  General,  I  have  for  you  personally 
a  profound  and  sincere  esteem.  But  it  must  be  understood 
that  these  feelings  do  not  imply  the  submission  of  my  soul 
to  a  hostile  nation  which  has  invaded  our  territory.,  " 

"As  regards  this  letter,  the  Governor  will  not  be  able 
to  let  it  'pass.'  " 

"It  is  written  and  it  will  remain." 

"But  why — "  broke  in  an  officer  who  till  then  had  kept 
silent,  "why  remind  the  faithful  in  your  letter  of  bygone 
events?" 

"Because  the  conditions  under  which  we  live  to-day  can- 
not make  us  forget  the  atrocities  which  our  people  have 
endured.  And  when  I  preach  to  them  today  patience  and 
resignation,  I  cannot  affect  ignorance  of  these  atrocities." 

"Your  Eminence  will  give  the  Governor  General  an 
explanation." 

"When?" 

"We  will  let  you  know  on  your  return  to  Brussels." 
"All  right,  but  I  must  tell  you  that  tomorrow  I  shall 
not  be  free." 

"Your  Eminence  must  hold  yourself  at  the  disposal  of 
his  Excellency  the  Governor  General  at  whatever  day  and 
hour  he  may  choose." 

"Gentlemen,  I  must  repeat  that  tomorrow  I  am  not 
free;  I  have  to  preside  at  a  religious  function  at  Antwerp." 

"Has  your  Eminence  already  sent  out  the  letter?" 


48     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


"All  the  cures  have  received  it." 

"Your  Eminence  has  therefore  broken  the  regulation 
which  forbids  the  publication  of  anything  which  has  not 
been  passed  by  the  German  censor." 

"I  know  nothing  of  this  regulation.  It  might  well  have 
been  made  known  to  me.  As  I  knew  nothing  about  it,  I 
have  not  broken  it." 

"Has  the  letter  been  read?" 

"It  was  read  yesterday,  January  ist,  in  many  places; 
in  any  case,  it  will  be  read  everywhere  tomorrow." 

"In  that  case,"  exclaimed  Von  der  Lancken,  with  a 
look  of  despair,  "we  are  too  late  !" 

The  visitors  withdrew  to  report  to  their  head,  excusing 
themselves  for  having  come  at  so  early  an  hour.  They 
begged  his  Eminence  to  hold  himself  at  the  Governor's 
disposal. 

In  the  evening  the  following  telegram  came  to  the 
Archbishop's  House  : 

Cardinal  Mercier,  Matines. 

The  Governor  General  begs  your  Eminence  to  renounce  the  journey  which 
you  intended  to  make  to  Antwerp  to-morrow.    The  Governor  General. 

On  Saturday  evening  emissaries  of  the  German  Gov- 
ernment called  on  a  large  number  of  cures  and  forbade 
them  to  continue  reading  the  letter.  In  a  great  many  pres- 
byteries they  got  possession  of  the  pastoral  by  means  of 
threats.  An  official  search  was  made  at  Mons.  Dessain's  in 
Malines  ;  all  copies  of  the  letter  found  on  the  premises  were 
confiscated.    Later  Mons.  Dessain  was  fined  500  marks. 

On  Sunday,  January  3rd,  in  the  evening,  a  German  offi- 
cer, accompanied  by  a  soldier,  came  to  obtain  information 
from  members  of  the  archbishop's  household  as  to  whether 
his  Eminence  had  not  left  the  town  of  Malines  that  same 
day.  The  concierge]' s  statement  was  not  enough.  He 
wanted,  he  said,  the  testimony  of  his  Eminence's  secretary 
or  of  some  one  immediately  attached  to  his  person.  Brother 
Egidius,  superintendent  of  the  household,  came  and  re- 
assured the  officer  that  his  Eminence  had  not  left  the  city. 
The  officer  and  soldier  left  without  insisting  any  further. 

On  Monday,  January  4th,  about  7  a.  m.,  one  of  Von 


THE  PASTORAL  LETTER  49 


Bissing's  adjutants,  Captain  von  Strempel,  came  to  the 
Archbishop's  House  and  handed  to  the  Cardinal  the  fol- 
lowing letter  from  the  Governor  General  with  a  request 
for  an  immediate  reply: 

Office  of  the  Governor  General, 
Brussels,  December  31  if,  19 14. 

January  3rd,  19 15. 
To   His   Eminence   Cardinal   Mercier,   Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  letter  which  you 
addressed  to  me  on  December  28th.  I  have  noted  that  your 
Eminence  appreciates  the  spirit  with  which  I  am  animated 
in  the  discharge  of  my  duties  toward  the  Belgian  people 
and  especially  in  regard  to  the  spiritual  and  moral  inter- 
ests represented  by  your  Eminence.  On  my  side,  I  appre- 
ciate the  sentiments  manifested  toward  myself  by  your 
Eminence.  But  I  have  been  painfully  surprised  by  the 
concluding  portion  of  your  Eminence's  letter,  as  also  by 
the  letter  addressed  by  you  to  Cardinal  von  Hartmann. 
I  have  noted  that  even  at  this  hour  your  Eminence  adopts 
toward  the  German  Government  an  attitude  quite  incom- 
patible with  the  efforts  which  you  are  making  in  helping 
to  heal  your  country's  wounds.  In  the  course  of  our  inter- 
view I  made  it  clear  to  your  Eminence  that  events  arising 
out  of  the  necessities  of  the  war  and  the  behavior  of  the 
Belgian  population  could  form  no  subject  for  discussion  be- 
tween us.  To  my  great  regret,  your  Eminence  finds  occasion 
in  the  letter  you  addressed  to  me,  as  well  as  in  that  to  Car- 
dinal von  Hartmann,  to  go  back  to  these  events.  I  draw 
your  Eminence's  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  German 
Government  is  in  possession  of  a  number  of  proofs  justify- 
ing completely  the  measures  taken  by  the  German  troops 
against  the  Belgian  people  who  have  acted  contrary  to  all 
international  law.  Hence  I  must  protest  most  energetically 
when  your  Eminence  accuses  the  responsible  political  au- 
thorities in  Germany  of  lying  and  when  you  attack  the 
honor  of  the  German  army,  which  has  only  acted  in  legiti- 
mate self-defense.   Your  Eminence  must  recognize  with  me 


So    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


that  so  long  as  you  believe  yourself  justified  in  expressing 
such  ideas  and  sentiments,  and  even  in  maintaining  them 
after  my  explanation,  it  is  quite  impossible  for  me  to  grant 
you  the  facilities  for  traveling  which  you  request;  for  now, 
I  cannot  see  any  common  ground  on  which  we  can  work  to- 
gether with  mutual  confidence  in  the  interests  of  the  Belgian 
people.  Neither  can  I  transmit  to  its  destination  the  letter 
which  your  Eminence  has  handed  to  me  for  Cardinal  von 
Hartmann.  It  is  impossible  for  me  to  forward  a  criticism 
so  unjustifiable  and  so  offensive  to  the  higher  authorities, 
both  of  the  German  Empire  and  of  the  German  army.  I 
return  this  letter  to  your  Eminence. 

At  the  moment  of  dispatching  this  letter  your  Emi- 
nence's pastoral  has  been  brought  to  my  notice.  It  has 
caused  me  a  most  disagreeable  surprise.  I  must  decline  to 
make  a  detailed  pronouncement  on  its  contents,  for  no  one 
can  measure  the  results  of  the  action  taken  by  your  Emi- 
nence, nor  do  I  believe  myself  authorized  alone  to  take 
the  measures  necessary  to  repair  the  harm  done  by  this 
letter  and  at  the  same  time  to  safeguard  the  rights  and 
dignity  of  the  German  Government.  First  of  all,  in  the 
interests  of  preserving  good  relations  with  the  Belgian 
clergy,  so  sincerely  desired  by  myself,  I  have  waived  my 
right  to  proceed  against  the  priests,  who,  in  circulating  and 
in  reading  the  pastoral,  have  merely  obeyed  the  instruc- 
tions of  their  archbishop.  On  the  other  hand,  I  have  or- 
dered the  confiscation  of  copies  of  the  letter  which  were 
found  at  the  printing  works,  and  I  have  decreed  penalties 
against  any  one  circulating  them.  It  is  clear  that  the  read- 
ing of  the  letter  has  already  provoked  an  agitation  among 
the  Belgian  people.  If  graver  events  should  result  there- 
from, your  Eminence  alone  would  have  to  bear  all  the 
responsibility.  I  am  obliged  to  request  your  Eminence  to 
at  once  forbid  your  clergy  to  read  and  to  circulate  your 
pastoral. 

I  beg  your  Eminence  to  answer  by  return  of  post  the 
following  questions  : 

(i)  What  relations  has  your  Eminence  had  after  the 
occupation  of  the  country  by  German  troops  with  the  King 


THE  PASTORAL  LETTER  51 


of  the  Belgians,  and  In  particular  with  the  King  of  Eng- 
land? 

(2)  Through  what  channel  have  these  communications 
been  maintained? 

(3)  What  are  the  legal  grounds  on  which  your  Emi- 
nence rests  to  ordain  days  of  penance  in  accordance  with 
a  desire  manifested  by  the  King  of  England?  (See  the 
communication  in  Latin  to  the  clergy,  Vol.  113,  part  3, 
dated  Malines,  Christmas,  19 14.) 

The  bearer  of  this  letter  has  orders  to  await  your  Emi- 
nence's reply  and  to  bring  it  back  to  me. 

I  offer  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  very  high 
esteem  and  I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  Eminence's  devoted 
servant. 

(Signed)  Freiherr  von  Bissing, 

Governor  General. 

The  Cardinal  observed  to  Von  Strempel  that  an  answer 
to  such  a  document  required  reflection  and  this  he  could 
not  give  immediately;  he  begged  him  to  return  the  same 
evening.  The  captain  answered  that  his  orders  were  not 
to  leave  the  Archbishop's  House  without  a  reply.  The 
Cardinal  fruitlessly  insisted  that  he  should  have  time  given 
him  to  work  out  his  reply.  The  officer  again  and  again  re- 
joined: "I  am  in  no  hurry;  I  will  wait."  At  a  certain 
moment,  as  he  seemed  loath  to  let  the  Cardinal  out  of  his 
sight,  the  latter  said,  "Use  your  liberty;  I  give  you  my  word 
of  honor  that  I  shall  not  run  away.  Do  you  take  me  for 
a  brigand?" 

Finally,  about  1 1  o'clock,  his  Eminence  handed  to  Von 
Strempel  the  subjoined  letter,  begging  him  instantly  to  re- 
quest the  Governor's  permission  by  telephone  to  return  to 
Brussels  and  come  again  for  the  answer  about  6  p.  m. 

Archbishop* s  House,  Malines, 
January  \th,  19 1 5,  11  o'clock  a,  m. 
To  His  Excellency  the  Governor  General  Baron  von  Biss- 
ing, Brussels. 

Your  Excellency — I  am  in  receipt  of  the  letter  your  ad- 
jutant, Captain  von  Strempel,  did  me  the  honor  to  deliver 


52     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


from  your  Excellency  and  I  am  anxious  to  reply  to  it  as 
soon  as  possible.  Your  Excellency  must,  however,  allow  me 
time  for  reflection  before  doing  so.  The  greater  part  of 
the  morning  has  been  spent  by  your  obliging  delegate  in 
copying  the  document.  I  shall  have  to  study  it  at  my  leisure. 
I  expect,  however,  to  complete  the  required  reply  this  eve- 
ning. With  your  Excellency's  approval,  your  adjutant  might 
return  for  it  this  evening  at  6.* 

Accept,  Excellency,  the  expression  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

At  this  point  some  of  his  friends  near  him  pressed  the 
Cardinal  to  parry  the  blows  that  threatened  him.  He  was 
advised,  if  not  to  withdraw  the  pastoral,  at  least  to  tone 
down  some  of  its  directness.  Had  the  Cardinal  the  right 
to  expose  his  priests  to  all  the  perils  of  a  violent  repression? 
In  the  general  interests,  would  it  not  be  better  to  give  proof 
of  a  conciliatory  spirit?  Was  it  not  sheer  rashness  to  ex- 
pose his  own  person  to  imprisonment,  exile,  or  even  a 
worse  penalty?  The  severance  of  the  pastor  from  his 
flock,  would  it  not  lay  the  diocese  and  the  whole  country 
open  to  perils  of  the  gravest  kind? 

This  was  a  critical  hour. 

After  taking  counsel  of  his  immediate  entourage,  the 
Cardinal  took  time  to  reflect  alone.  He  went  to  his  private 
oratory  to  meditate  and  pray;  then  came  back  and  drew 
up  the  following  letter  in  which  he  declares  that  his  act 
was  fully  deliberate  and  that  he  refuses  either  to  disown 
or  withdraw  it: 

Archbishop's  House,  Malines, 
January  4th,  19 15,  6  />.  m. 
To  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General,  Brussels. 

Your  Excellency — The  letters  with  which  your  Excel- 
lency has  honored  me  dated  December  31st,  19 14,  and 
January  3rd,  1915,  embrace  three  parts. 

The  first  part  refers  to  my  correspondence  of  December 

♦Note— The  Governor  General's  answer  was  negative.  Von  Strem- 
pel  was  to  await  the  Cardinal's  answer  at  Malines  itself. 


THE  PASTORAL  LETTER 


28th  last,  both  with  your  Excellency  and  his  Eminence 
Cardinal  von  Hartmann.  Your  Excellency  was  kind 
enough  to  appreciate  the  mark  of  esteem  which  I  had 
the  opportunity  of  showing  you.  You  remind  me  that  you 
had  expressed  a  desire  to  further  the  religious  and  moral 
interest  with  which  I  have  been  intrusted,  also  to  relieve 
the  sufferings  of  our  people  ;  and  yet  your  Excellency  seems 
persuaded  that  instead  of  falling  in  with  your  views  I  have 
taken  up  an  attitude  toward  the  German  Government  which 
to  you  is  incompatible  with  this  praiseworthy  ideal. 

Your  Excellency  is  of  the  opinion  that  past  events  with 
their  sad  echoes  still  resounding  within  the  soul  of  Belgium 
ought  not  to  form  the  subject  of  either  oral  or  written  com- 
munications between  us,  and  it  seems  you  are  surprised  that 
even  in  private  letters  I  have  recalled  these  events  and 
have  also  passed  judgment  upon  them. 

I  appreciate  fully  your  Excellency's  anxiety  to  ward 
off  further  strife  from  our  country,  already  so  sorely  tried, 
and  no  one  acquiesces  in  this  wish  of  yours  more  heartily 
than  myself.  Still,  if  by  mutual  co-operation  we  desire  our 
work  to  have  a  durable  character,  our  joint  efforts  must 
not  rest  on  an  equivocal  basis.  Duly  impressed  by  the  need 
of  candor,  I  made  a  point  of  drawing  a  distinction  between 
the  personal  relations  of  courtesy  and  mutual  good-will  I 
had  the  honor  of  cultivating  with  Baron  von  Bissing  and 
those  other  relations  which  were  demanded  by  my  position 
toward  the  representative  of  a  nation  with  whom  we  have 
the  misfortune  to  be  at  war.  I  was  encouraged  by  the  hope 
that  the  clearness  of  my  words  would  be  welcomed,  and 
I  was  certainly  far  from  anticipating  that  it  would  involve 
the  withdrawal  of  the  general  pass  you  granted  me. 
Nevertheless,  I  bow  to  your  decision.  Hitherto,  as  a  mat- 
ter of  fact,  I  have  not  gone  beyond  the  limits  of  my  dio- 
cese; nor  shall  I  go  beyond  them  in  future. 

The  second  part  of  your  Excellency's  dispatch  refers 
to  my  pastoral  letter.  First  of  all,  I  am  grateful  to  ycur 
Excellency  for  your  decision  to  withdraw  the  prosecution 
of  those  priests  who  have  read  my  letter  from  the  pulpit 
as  they  were  instructed  to  do.    In  doing  this  they  acted  in 


54     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 

obedience  to  their  bishop.  He  alone  is  responsible  for  the 
orders  he  gives  to  his  clergy.  You  seem,  sir,  apprehensive 
of  a  possible  disturbance  resulting  from  the  public  reading 
of  my  pastoral  and  you  draw  my  attention  to  possible  un- 
pleasant consequences  among  the  people.  Allow  me  to 
inform  you  that  you  little  understand  the  devotedness  of 
my  people.  If  in  addressing  them  I  had  in  any  way  con- 
cealed my  views  or  had  tried  to  force  them  into  submission, 
they  might  have  kicked  against  my  orders.  But  my  words 
to  them  were  those  of  a  father  who  trusts  his  children. 
I  told  them  that  I  realized  their  sufferings  and  by  virtue 
of  this  very  knowledge  was  able  to  sympathize  with  them. 
I  expounded  to  them  in  its  entirety  the  gospel  teaching  on 
their  relations  with  that  power  which  for  the  time  being 
was  in  occupation  of  a  part  of  their  country.  I  told  them 
this:  "Whatever  feelings  you  may  harbor  within  your  in- 
most souls,  you  are  bound,  as  far  as  your  conscience  and 
noble  patriotism  will  allow,  to  comply  in  your  external  con- 
duct with  the  regulations  of  the  Government  in  occupation. 
Outwardly  you  are  to  obey  the  aforementioned  decrees; 
nay  more,  it  is  the  legitimate  authority  of  your  own  gov- 
ernment, in  tacitly  approving  of  them  out  of  regard  it  has 
for  the  interests  of  public  order,  that  obliges  you  to  respect 
them." 

As  a  Belgian,  I  understand  my  fellow-countrymen;  and 
as  a  bishop  I  am  well  acquainted  with  my  children;  and 
I  can  therefore  guarantee,  Sir,  that  the  public  peace  will 
not  be  disturbed  if  you  forbid  your  subordinates  to  indulge 
in  any  further  noisy  demonstrations  such  as  occurred  in  a 
considerable  number  of  peaceful  villages  during  the  night 
of  January  3rd. 

If,  on  the  other  hand,  you  cannot  see  your  way  to  allow 
me  full  freedom  to  influence  my  clergy  and  people  by  moral 
suasion  alone;  if,  yielding  to  your  personal  fears,  you  have 
recourse  to  methods  of  intimidation,  I  shall  no  longer  be 
able  to  answer,  with  the  same  assurance,  for  the  main- 
tenance of  public  order,  and  in  that  case  I  shall  not  require 
my  clergy  to  resume  the  reading  and  the  dissemination  of 
my  pastoral  in  defiance  of  your  interdiction.' 


THE  PASTORAL  LETTER  55 


Lastly,  in  the  third  part  of  your  letter,  your  Excellency 
asks  me  about  my  relations  with  my  own  king  and  the  King 
of  England,  and  desires  to  be  informed  why,  in  conformity 
with  the  wish  expressed  by  the  King  of  England,  I  should 
have  exhorted  the  faithful  of  my  diocese  to  make  January 
3rd  a  special  day  of  prayer.  Frankly,  your  Excellency, 
these  questions  astonish  me.  The  acts  of  one's  private  life, 
unless  I  am  mistaken,  are  outside  the  jurisdiction  of  all 
governments,  and  consequently  I  feel  justified  in  requesting 
your  Excellency  to  assure  me  of  the  exact  purport  of  your 
question.  Does  your  Excellency  claim  the  right  to  inter- 
fere with  my  private  intercourse  with  my  own  sovereign,  or 
with  foreign  rulers?  This  is  not  the  first  time  I  have  or- 
dered a  day  of  prayer.  My  venerable  episcopal  colleagues 
in  Austria,  France  and  Germany  have  all  acted  in  like  man- 
ner. We  have  each  and  all  been  fired  by  the  same  desire 
to  call  down  the  blessing  of  God  on  our  countries.  This 
also  I  may  add:  That  I  have  had  no  difficulty  in  becoming 
acquainted  with  the  King  of  England's  wish  in  this  matter. 
A  circular  published  by  his  Eminence  Cardinal  Bourne, 
Archbishop  of  Westminster,  was  sent  to  thousands  of  our 
Belgian  refugees  living  at  present  in  the  United  Kingdom. 
Many  copies  have  reached  me,  but  at  the  present  moment 
I  cannot  put  my  hand  on  one  of  these  circulars.  I  hope 
shortly  to  be  able  to  find  one  and  to  forward  it  to  your 
Excellency. 

Accept,  Excellency,  the  expression  of  my  high  esteem. 
(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  next  day,  January  5th,  the  Cardinal  sent  to  Von 
Bissing  the  following  supplementary  note: 

Archbishop* s  House,  Malines, 

January  $th,  19 15. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Your  Excellency — I  have  the  honor  to  inclose  the 
pamphlet  to  which  I  referred  in  my  letter  of  yesterday 
evening. 


56     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


An  error  of  date  has  crept  into  my  letter.  You  must 
read,  "During  the  night  of  January  2d-January  3rd." 

I  said  yesterday  that  I  could  hardly  see  the  drift  of 
the  question  your  Excellency  put  me  in  the  third  part  of 
your  letter.  I  think,  on  reflection,  that  your  Excellency 
wished  to  know  whether  or  not  I  had  been  influenced  by 
considerations  outside  my  pastoral  office.  I  insist  that  my 
pastoral,  both  in  letter  and  in  spirit,  is  exclusively  my  work. 
I  have  taken  the  whole  responsibility  on  myself. 

I  deeply  regret  having  left  the  letter  of  Cardinal  von 
Hartmann,  dated  December  6th,  without  a  reply;  and  at 
present  I  find  myself  deprived  of  any  direct  means  of  com- 
municating with  him.  Perhaps  your  Excellency  will  see  your 
way  to  dispatch  the  subjoined  letter  after  perusal.  If  you 
should  find  any  difficulty,  I  beg  you  to  take  no  notice  of  my 
request. 

Receive,  Excellency,  the  expression  of  my  sincere  esteem. 
(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

With  this  letter  was  inclosed  the  printed  notice  in  which 
Cardinal  Bourne  announced  that  January  3rd  should  be 
observed  as  a  day  of  penance. 

Archbishop's  House,  Westminster,  S.  W. 

December  15^,  19 14. 
Day  of  Humble  Prayer  and  Intercession 
You  know  already  that,  by  the  desire  of  His  Majesty 
the  King,  the  first  Sunday  of  the  New  Year,  January  3rd, 
which  is  also  the  Feast  of  the  Most  Holy  Name  of  Jesus, 
will  be  kept  throughout  the  country  as  a  day  of  humble 
prayer  and  intercession  to  beg  God's  blessing  upon  the 
empire  and  the  allied  nations  in  these  days  of  terrible  con- 
flict with  our  enemies,  and  to  implore  His  divine  consolation 
for  those  who  thereby  are  exposed  to  anxiety,  suffering  and 
sorrow.  Those  who  have  already  given  their  lives  in  the 
struggle  will  have  their  own  special  place  in  our  supplica- 
tion. The  bishops,  clergy  and  faithful  of  the  Church  in 
France  will  be  united  with  us  in  this  great  public  and  in- 


THE  PASTORAL  LETTER  57 


ternational  act  of  intercession,  and  we  know  that  our  breth- 
ren in  Belgium  will  be  joined  with  us  in  heart  and  intention. 

The  following  letter  was  at  the  same  time  handed  to 
Von  Bissing,  with  a  request  to  forward  it  to  its  destination. 

Archbishop' s  House,  M  alines, 

January  $th,  19 15 
To  His  Eminence,  the  Right  Reverend  von  Hartmann, 
Archbishop  of  Cologne. 
Most  Eminent  Lord — Tardily,  yet  very  sincerely,  I 
thank  your  Eminence  for  your  letter  of  December  6th  last 
and  for  the  very  kind  steps  which  you  had  the  goodness 
to  take  on  behalf  of  our  priests  and  of  our  prisoners. 

The  special  circumstances  on  which  I  prefer  not  to  dwell 
do  not  allow  me  to  say  any  more  to  your  Eminence  today. 

United  in  prayer  that  in  all  things  and  in  every  way 
the  will  of  God  may  be  accomplished,  I  remain  your  Emi- 
nence's humble  and  devoted  servant. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  Governor  General  confined  himself  to  replying  by 
a  simple  acknowledgment. 

Governor  General's  Office,  Brussels, 

January  6th,  19 15. 
To   His   Eminence    Cardinal    Mercier,   Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  esteemed  letter  of 
your  Eminence,  dated  yesterday,  together  with  the  pamph- 
let which  you  had  the  kindness  to  inclose  with  it  and  the 
letter  which  you  have  addressed  to  my  very  esteemed  friend, 
Cardinal  von  Hartmann.  It  will  be  a  great  pleasure  to  me 
to  forward  the  letter  to  its  destination. 

I  avail  myself  of  the  occasion  to  forward  to  your  Emi- 
nence a  letter  which  Cardinal  von  Hartmann  has  asked  me 
to  transmit  to  you. 

I  offer  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem,  and  have  the  honor  to  be  your  very  devoted  servant, 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Governor  General. 


58     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


On  January  7th  the  Governor  General  addressed  a 
printed  circular  to  all  the  priests  of  the  diocese  of  Malines, 
of  which  the  following  is  a  translation  : 

Governor  General* $  Office, 
Brussels,  January  "]thy  19 15. 
To  the  Clergy  of  the  Diocese  of  Malines: 

Following  upon  representations  which  I  addressed  to 
him  on  the  subject  of  his  pastoral  letter,  the  effect  of  which 
in  my  opinion  is  of  a  nature  to  disturb  and  excite  the  public 
mind,  Cardinal  Mercier  has  declared  to  me  by  word  of 
mouth  and  in  writing  that  such  had  never  been  his  inten- 
tion and  that  he  had  never  expected  his  letter  to  produce 
such  an  effect.  He  says  he  has  above  all  in  view  to  show 
the  people  the  necessity  of  submission  to  the  power  of 
occupation,  even  in  the  case  where  a  Belgian,  animated  by 
his  deep-rooted  patriotic  feelings,  might  feel  inclined  to 
oppose  the  German  administration. 

The  Cardinal  has  added  that  in  case  I  feared  his  pas- 
toral might  disturb  the  public  mind,  he  would  not  insist 
on  forcing  his  priests,  as  he  does  at  the  end  of  his  letter, 
to  continue  the  reading  of  it  on  the  following  Sundays  and 
to  distribute  it  from  house  to  house  as  well. 

I  have  some  fear  of  this  kind. 

I,  therefore,  renew  my  prohibition  of  January  2d  to 
read  and  to  distribute  his  pastoral.  I  would  observe  to 
the  clergy  that  in  the  case  of  infringement  of  this  order 
they  will  be  opposing  the  Cardinal's  intentions  as  expressed 
to  me  in  writing. 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Governor  General. 

At  the  same  time  the  Governor  General  published 
through  the  Censored  Press  the  following  note: 

Brussels,  January  8  th. 
"His  Eminence  Mgr.  Mercier,  in  accordance  with  an 
ancient  custom,  addressed  to  the  faithful  of  his  diocese  for 
the  feast  of  Christmas  a  pastoral  letter  in  which  he  partly 
treats  of  the  great  political  events  of  recent  date.  The 
foreign  press  has  gwen  inaccurate  accounts  of  it  and  among 


THE  PASTORAL  LETTER  59 


other  things  has  alleged  that  in  consequence  of  this  pastoral 
the  Cardinal  has  been  imprisoned  in  his  place  at  Malines 
by  German  officers  and  even  that  he  has  been  already  ar- 
rested. The  Governor  General  declared  officially  that  both 
these  reports  are  devoid  of  all  foundation.  He  has  never 
dreamt  of  interfering  with  the  liberties  of  the  Prince  of  the 
Church  in  the  exercise  of  his  ecclesiastical  functions.  The 
pastoral,  however,  contained  passages  offensive  to  Ger- 
many, and  though  it  was  impossible  for  the  German  authori- 
ties to  ignore  them,  yet,  out  of  regard  for  the  sacredness 
of  the  place  and  to  avoid  wounding  the  feelings  of  the  faith- 
ful, the  reading  of  the  pastoral  has  not  been  prevented  by 
force.  The  Governor  General,  in  virtue  of  his  decree  of 
October  13th,  19 14,  which  formally  subjects  all  printed  mat- 
ter to  the  censorship  of  the  Governor  General,  has  confined 
himself  to  disciplinary  measures  demanded  by  the  situation. 
The  printer  entrusted  with  the  printing  and  distribution  of 
the  pastoral  has  accordingly  been  proceeded  against  for  his 
infraction  of  the  forementioned  decree,  and  the  copies 
found  at  his  establishment  have  been  sequestrated. 

"In  the  course  of  correspondence  with  the  Governor 
General  the  Cardinal  has  declared  that,  having  regard  to  the 
opinion  of  the  Governor  General  on  the  probable  effect  of 
its  reading,  he  abstained  from  compelling  the  clergy  to 
read  the  pastoral  and  to  distribute  it  from  house  to  house. " 

(Extract  from  the  newspaper  La  Belgique,  No.  64, 
January  9th,  19 15.) 

This  communication  of  Von  Bissing  to  the  clergy  of 
the  diocese  and  to  the  censored  press  is  a  masterpiece  of 
hypocrisy.  While  the  Cardinal,  trusting  in  the  patriotic  ini- 
tiative of  his  clergy,  had  only  declared  that  he  would  not 
renew  the  order  intimated  above,  the  Governor  General 
leads  one  to  understand  that  the  Cardinal,  in  order  to  avoid 
all  difficulty,  desires  that  the  clergy  should  refrain  from 
the  public  reading  and  distribution  of  the  pastoral. 

This  clever  maneuver  had  not  the  result  expected  of 
it  by  Von  Bissing.  On  Saturday,  January  9th,  Mgr.  Ever- 
ard,  dean  of  St.  Gudule,  went  to  the  Cardinal  and  soon 


6o     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


found  out  the  snare  which  had  been  laid  for  the  clergy  of 
the  diocese.  Of  this  he  forthwith  by  letter  informed  the 
cures  of  the  deanery  of  St.  Gudule  and  all  the  deans  of 
the  Brussels  district.  The  report  of  this  letter  spread 
everywhere  like  wildfire,  and  in  all  the  churches  the  reading 
of  the  letter  was  continued  on  Sunday,  January  ioth. 

The  following  is  the  letter  which  Mgr.  Everard  ad- 
dressed to  the  Cardinal  a  few  days  later: 

Eminence — On  Saturday,  January  9th,  I  wrote  to  all 
my  parish  priests  and  to  the  rural  deans  of  the  district: 

"I  have  just  returned  from  Malines. 

"Notwithstanding  the  written  prohibition  circulated  last 
evening,  his  Eminence  the  Cardinal  wishes  his  letter  to  be 
read.    This  written  prohibition  is  deceptive  and  false. 

"  'Neither  by  word  nor  in  writing  have  I  withdrawn 
anything,  and  at  this  moment  I  withdraw  nothing  of  my 
previous  instructions,  and  I  protest  against  the  violence 
which  is  done  to  the  freedom  of  my  pastoral  office., 

"Such  are  the  words  dictated  to  me  by  the  Cardinal. 

"He  added  furthermore  :  'Everything  has  been  done  to 
make  me  sign  some  modification  of  my  letter.  I  have  not 
signed  them.  Now  it  is  sought  to  separate  the  clergy  from 
me  by  preventing  them  from  reading  the  letter.  I  have 
done  my  duty:  my  clergy  will  know  how  to  do  theirs.' 

"Receive,  my  dear  cure,  the  testimony  of  my  respect." 

Both  in  the  town  and  in  the  outskirts  on  Sunday,  Janu- 
ary ioth,  the  pastoral  was  read  at  all  masses  and  produced 
an  excellent  effect. 

The  reading  took  place  without  incident,  opposition  or 
protest.  Only  at  Sublant,  after  the  reading  of  the  letter 
by  the  cure,  M.  Richard,  did  two  officers  accompany  him 
to  the  sacristy  and  there  tell  him  it  had  been  forbidden  to 
read  the  letter.  His  reply  that  he  had  only  obeyed  the 
order  of  his  superior  closed  the  incident. 

There  was  naturally  some  excitement  for  the  moment, 
but  this  disappeared  almost  immediately. 

Up  to  now,  nobody  has  interfered  with  us. 


THE  PASTORAL  LETTER  61 


Will  your  Eminence  accept  the  expression  of  my  pro- 
found esteem? 

(Signed)  Edward  Everard. 

On  January  nth,  the  Cardinal  addressed  to  his  clergy 
a  letter  in  Latin  of  which  the  following  is  a  translation: 

M  alines,  Sunday  Within  the  Octave  of  the  Epiphany,  19 15. 
Very  Reverend  Fathers  and  Most  Dear  Fellow  Workers: 
You  are  acquainted,  I  believe,  with  a  notice  of  the  Gov- 
ernor General  of  Belgium  published  in  the  papers  stating 
that  the  Cardinal  Archbishop  of  Malines  has  in  no  wise 
been  hampered  in  the  free  discharge  of  his  ecclesiastical 
office.  The  facts  themselves  disprove  the  truth  of  this 
assertion. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  on  the  evening  of  January  1st  and 
throughout  the  whole  of  the  following  night,  German  offi- 
cers entered  the  presbyteries  and  carried  off  or  tried  vainly 
to  wrench  from  the  priests'  hands  the  pastoral,  and  in  de- 
fiance of  episcopal  authority  forbade  you  to  read  it  to  your 
congregations,  threatening  you  or  your  parish  with  the 
direst  penalties. 

Even  our  dignity  was  not  respected,  for  on  January 
2d,  before  daybreak  at  6  o'clock,  I  received  the  order  to 
go  immediately  that  same  morning  and  explain  to  the  Gov- 
ernor General  my  letter  to  the  clergy  and  the  people.  The 
following  day  I  was  forbidden  to  give  benediction  in  the 
Cathedral  at  Antwerp.  I  have  been  forbidden  to  visit  the 
other  Belgian  bishops. 

As  a  citizen,  as  a  shepherd  of  souls,  and  as  a  member 
of  the  sacred  college  of  Cardinals,  I  protest,  my  dear  fellow 
workers,  that  your  rights  as  well  as  mine  have  been  violated. 

Whatever  may  be  alleged  to  the  contrary,  experience 
has  proved  that  this  pastoral  letter  has  provoked  no  occa- 
sion for  sedition,  but,  on  the  contrary,  it  has  contributed 
largely  to  the  appeasing  of  the  people's  minds  and  to  public 
tranquillity. 

I  congratulate  you  on  having  fulfilled  your  duty  with 
firmness  and  moderation.  Continue  faithful,  keeping  up  a 
stout  yet  pacific  heart,  remembering  the  words  in  which 


62     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


I  have  already  explained  to  you  my  mind  clearly  and  en- 
tirely: "Be  at  the  same  time  the  best  guardians  of  patriot- 
ism and  the  supporters  of  public  order.1' 

As  for  the  rest,  be  "in  spirit  fervent,  serving  the  Lord, 
rejoicing  in  hope,  patient  in  tribulation,  instant  in  prayer, 
communicating  to  the  necessities  of  the  saints."  (Romans 
xii,  11-13.) 

I  beg  you,  do  not  forget  me  in  your  prayers;  on  my 
part,  I  shall  not  forget  you  in  mine.  Altogether,  united 
by  the  close  ties  of  brotherhood,  let  us  commend  to  the 
Lord,  the  bishops,  the  clergy  and  the  faithful  "that  they 
may  see  their  duty  and  may  have  the  strength  to  fulfill  it."  * 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  deans  are  requested  to  give  an  account  of  all  that 
has  taken  place  in  the  parishes  of  their  deaneries. 

N.  B. — For  some  time  some  ecclesiastics  have  affected 
lay  attire;  they  are  requested  to  resume  from  now  on  ec- 
clesiastical dress. 

The  incidents  provoked  by  the  reading  of  the  pastoral 
became  known  in  other  countries.  Mr.  Schreiner,  the  cor- 
respondent of  the  Associated  Press  of  America,  sent  a  tele- 
gram to  the  Cardinal,  through  the  German  authorities,  re- 
questing detailed  information  of  his  treatment  by  the 
German  authorities.  This  telegram  was  delivered  by  the 
Kreischef  of  Malines  : 

The  Kreischef  Office,  Malines, 

January  gth,  191 5. 
To  the  Cardinal  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

By  order  of  the  Governor  General  I  have  the  honor  to 
forward  to  your  Eminence  the  following  telegram  which 
was  received  by  the  Governor  General  with  the  request  to 
communicate  it  to  you. 

♦Collect  for  the  Sunday  within  the  Octave  of  the  Epiphany. 


THE  PASTORAL  LETTER 


63 


To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier. 

It  has  been  rumored  that  your  Eminence  has  been  ar- 
rested, together  with  certain  other  persons  who  have  co- 
operated in  the  dissemination  of  the  pastoral  letter.  This 
report  has  produced  a  deep  impression  throughout  America. 
For  this  reason  I  have  been  charged  by  the  managers  of  the 
Associated  Press  to  get  into  personal  communication  with 
your  Eminence  and  to  receive  from  you  details  of  the  alleged 
bad  treatment  to  which  you  have  been  subjected.  If  your 
Eminence  be  agreeable,  I  beg  you  to  inform  me  at  the  Amer- 
ican Embassy  at  The  Hague  what  can  be  published  of  your 
present  position. 

With  kindest  regards. 

(Signed)  George  Schreiner, 

Correspondent  of  the  Associated  Press  of  America. 

In  case  your  Eminence  deems  it  expedient  to  reply  to 
this  telegram,  I  place  myself  at  your  disposal  to  transmit 
your  reply. 


The  Cardinal  sent  the  following  note  to  the  Kreischef 
with  his  answer  to  Mr.  Schreiner' s  telegram: 

Cardinal  Mercier  presents  to  the  Count  Wengersky  the 
expression  of  his  high  esteem  and  begs  him  to  be  good 
enough  to  forward  the  inclosed  answer  to  the  correspondent 
of  the  Associated  Press  of  America  : 

George  Schreiner, 

Correspondent  of  the  Associated  Press  of  America, 
American  Legation,  The  Hague. 
In  reply  to  your  telegram  I  regret  to  have  to  declare 
that  a  number  of  priests  have  had  to  submit  to  the  viola- 
tions of  their  homes,  threats  of  fines  or  imprisonment  and 
arrest.  The  printer  of  the  pastoral  letter  was  condemned 
to  a  fine  of  500  marks.    Myself  received  January  2d  6 


The  Kreischef, 


(Signed) 


G.  von  Wengersky, 

Colonel. 


64     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


o'clock  morning  three  officers  who  brought  me  an  order 
to  remain  at  the  disposal  of  Governor  General;  Sunday, 
January  3rd,  received  by  telegram  Governor  General's  pro- 
hibition to  go  to  Antwerp  to  preside  at  religious  ceremony. 

Shall  be  obliged  to  you  for  acknowledging  receipt  of 
my  wire. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  Governor  General  refused  to  send  the  Cardinal's 
wire.  He  sent  one  of  his  emissaries  to  invite  his  Emi- 
nence to  tone  down  the  text  of  his  answer  to  the  correspon- 
dent of  the  Associated  Press.  The  Cardinal  refused  ener- 
getically, declaring  that  what  he  affirmed  expressed  the 
bare  truth.  As  he  was  not  allowed  to  answer  explicitly 
the  questions  asked  of  him  by  Mr.  Schreiner,  his  Emi- 
nence confined  himself  to  sending  him,  through  the  chan- 
nel of  the  Kreischef  of  Malines  and  of  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral, the  following  answer: 
George  Schreiner, 

Correspondent  of  the  Associated  Press  of  America, 
American  Legation,  The  Hague. 

I  quite  understand  the  sympathy  you  wish  to  manifest 
toward  me  and  I  thank  you  for  it;  but  I  prefer  for  the  pres- 
ent not  to  dwell  on  the  vexatious  proceedings  to  which  you 
refer  and  to  continue  to  confine  myself  to  my  duties  as  a 
bishop. 

I  repeat,  however,  that  I  have  withdrawn  and  shall 
withdraw  nothing  of  my  pastoral  letter. 

(Signed)  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 


CHAPTER  VI 


PROPOSAL  FOR  AN  INQUIRY  ABOUT  PRIESTS  IN  THE  DIOCESE 
OF  MA  LI  NE  S  PUT  TO  DEATH  BY  GERMANS 

Toward  the  end  of  19 14  and  at  the  beginning  of  191 5 
the  German  Government  established  in  Belgium  various 
commissions  of  inquiry,  composed  entirely  of  imperial  offi- 
cials, whose  object  was  to  proclaim  to  the  whole  world  that 
the  German  army  was  innocent  of  the  crimes  of  which  it 
had  been  accused  by  its  enemies,  and  if  now  and  then  severe 
measures  of  repression  had  to  be  taken  they  must  be  ascribed 
solely  to  the  brutal  and  savage  conduct  of  the  Belgian  folk. 
The  result  of  these  one-sided  inquiries  appeared  in  a  White 
Book,  which  will  remain  for  future  generations  one  of  the 
most  convincing  witnesses  of  the  duplicity,  insolence  and  also 
of  the  folly  of  Prussian  militarism. 

The  Kreischef  of  Malines  proved  himself  a  worthy  rep- 
resentative of  his  Government.  Pretending  that  he  had 
learned  from  a  newspaper  article  that  priests  of  the  diocese 
of  Malines  had  been  killed,  though  he  knew  by  the  Christ- 
mas pastoral  letter  the  assertion  of  the  Cardinal  that  thir- 
teen members  of  the  clergy  had  perished  as  victims  of  Ger- 
man barbarity,  he  communicates  to  his  Eminence  his  scheme 
for  an  inquiry  in  the  following  terms  : 

The  Kreischef,  Malines, 
No.  268/11.  January  20thf  1915. 

To  His  Eminence  the  Cardinal,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

According  to  a  newspaper  article,  several  guiltless  priests 
have  been  killed  in  the  diocese  of  Malines. 

In  order  to  be  able  to  start  an  inquiry,  I  beg  your  Emi- 
nence to  be  so  kind  as  to  let  me  know  if  this  information 
be  correct,  and  if  the  answer  is  in  the  affirmative  to  supply 
me  with  the  names  of  the  victims. 

65 


66     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


I  should  very  much  like  to  know  under  what  circum- 
stances these  priests  have  been  killed  and  which  troops  in- 
curred the  guilt  of  these  crimes  and  on  what  date  these 
events  came  to  pass. 

The  Kreischef, 
(Signed)  G.  von  Wengersky, 

Colonel. 

The  Cardinal  answered  without  delay: 

Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

January  24th,  19 1 5. 
To  the  Count  von  Wengersky,  Kreischef,  Malines. 

Sir — I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  letter  268/11, 
bearing  date  January  20th,  which  you  have  had  the  kindness 
to  send  me. 

The  names  of  the  priests  and  religious  of  Malines  dio- 
cese who  to  my  knowledge  have  been  put  to  death  by  Ger- 
man troops  are  the  following:  Dupierreux,  of  the  Society 
of  Jesus;  the  Brothers  Sebastian  and  Allard,  of  the  Con- 
gregation of  Josephites;  Brother  Candide,  of  the  Congre- 
gation of  Our  Lady  of  Mercy;  Father  Maximin,  a  Capu- 
chin; Father  Vincent,  a  minor  conventual;  Carette,  a 
teacher;  Lombaerts,  Goris,  De  Clerck,  Dergent,  Wouters, 
Van  Blaedl,  parish  priests. 

On  Christmas  Day,  when  I  published  my  pastoral  let- 
ter, I  did  not  yet  know  with  certainty  what  had  been  the 
fate  of  the  cure  of  Herent;  since  then  his  body  has  been 
found  at  Louvain  and  identified. 

Other  figures  quoted  by  me  in  my  pastoral  letter  ought 
now  to  be  added.  For  instance,  for  Aerschot  I  gave  the 
number  of  victims  as  ninety-one,  but  the  total  of  Aerschotois 
dug  up  now  reaches  143.  However,  the  time  has  not  yet 
come  to  insist  on  these  detailed  facts.  Their  enumeration 
will  come  to  light  in  the  inquiry  which  you  lead  me  to  expect. 

It  will  be  a  consolation  to  me  to  see  full  light  thrown 
upon  events  which  I  had  to  recall  in  my  pastoral  letter  and 
on  others  of  the  same  kind. 

But  it  is  indispensable  that  the  results  of  the  inquiry 
should  appear  to  all  with  an  authority  beyond  dispute. 

With  this  end  in  view,  I  have  the  honor  to  propose  to 


PRIESTS  PUT  TO  DEATH  BY  GERMANS  67 


you,  my  dear  Count,  and  to  the  German  authorities  through 
your  kind  intervention,  that  the  Commission  of  Inquiry  be 
composed  equally  of  German  delegates  and  Belgian  magis- 
trates to  be  appointed  by  our  Chief  Justice,  the  whole  to 
be  presided  over  by  the  representative  of  a  neutral  country. 
I  cherish  the  hope  that  his  Excellency  the  Minister  of  the 
United  States  would  not  refuse  to  preside  either  himself  or 
through  a  delegate  of  his  own  choice. 

Accept,  I  beg  you,  dear  Kreischef,  the  assurance  of  my 
sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

On  February  2d  the  Kreischef  summoned  one  of  the 
Vicars  General.  Mgr.  Van  Roey  went  to  the  Komman- 
dantur  at  11  a.  m.  He  found  himself  in  the  presence  of 
an  adjutant,  who  asked  him  the  following  questions  :  At  what 
place  had  priests  been  killed?  What  day?  By  what  troops? 
Do  you  aver  that  they  were  innocent? 

Mgr.  Van  Roey  replied  that  he  had  not  been  directly 
concerned  in  the  project  for  an  inquiry,  but  that,  as  far 
as  he  knew,  his  Eminence  had  corresponded  about  this  mat- 
ter with  the  Governor  General  or  with  the  Kreischef. 

"Yes,"  replied  the  adjutant,  "we  have  here  his  Emi- 
nence's letter.  The  Governor  General  has  taken  cognizance 
of  it  and  has  sent  it  to  us  with  annotations.  We  do  not 
wish  to  disturb  his  Eminence  again  ;  we  had  hoped  that  you 
could  provide  the  information  we  desire." 

The  interview  ended  by  Mgr.  Van  Roey' s  declaring  that 
all  he  could  do  was  to  submit  to  the  Cardinal  the  Kreischef  s 
wishes. 

The  very  next  day  the  latter  addressed  to  Mgr.  Van 
Roey  the  following  letter: 

The  Kreischef t  Malines, 

February  $rd}  19 15. 
To  Mgr.  the  Vicar  General  of  His  Eminence  the  Cardinal, 
Malines. 

Monsignor — I  should  be  obliged  if  you  would  fix  some 
precise  date  on  which  I  may  expect  an  answer  to  the  ques- 


68     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


tions  I  put  you  concerning  the  priests  shot  in  the  diocese  of 
Malines. 

The  Kreischef, 
(Signed)  G.  von  Wengersky. 

Mgr.  Van  Roey  replied  immediately: 

Archbishop' s  House,  Malines, 

February  ^th,  19 1 5. 
To  Count  von  Wengersky,  Kreischef,  Malines. 

Sir — I  had  the  honor  to  hand  to  his  Eminence  the  Car- 
dinal Archbishop  the  demand  for  information  which  the 
adjutant  has  made  regarding  the  priests  shot  in  the  diocese 
of  Malines. 

His  Eminence  tells  me  that  to  an  identical  inquiry  which 
was  addressed  to  himself  personally  he  replied  in  his  letter 
of  January  24th  last.  I  deem,  therefore,  that  it  is  no 
business  of  mine  to  meddle  in  a  matter  which  the  Cardinal 
has  already  taken  in  hand  himself. 

Please  accept,  sir,  the  expression  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  Ern.  Van  Roey. 

Following  on  this  declaration  of  Mgr.  Van  Roey's,  the 
Kreischef  addressed  another  letter  to  the  Cardinal  himself. 

The  Kreischef  of  Malines, 

February  8th,  191 5. 
To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Malines. 

I  should  be  much  obliged  if  your  Eminence  would  fix  a 
date  for  receiving  my  adjutant.  He  is  commissioned  to  ask 
your  Eminence  for  precise  details  regarding  the  priests  of 
the  diocese  of  Malines  who  were  shot. 

I  beg  your  Eminence  to  acept  the  expression  of  my  deep 
respect  and  I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  devoted  servant, 
(Signed)  G.  Von  Wengersky, 

Colonel  and  Kreischef. 

The  Cardinal  replied,  fixing  the  interview  for  February 
9th,  but  his  letter  was  delivered  to  the  Kreischef  after  some 
delay  so  that  the  adjutant  was  unable  to  present  himself 
at  the  Archbishop's  House  on  the  appointed  day.  Von 
Wengersky  told  the  Cardinal  of  it: 


PRIESTS  PUT  TO  DEATH  BY  GERMANS  69 


The  Kreischef  of  Malines, 

February  <)th,  19 15. 
To  His  Eminence  the  Cardinal  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

To  my  great  regret,  I  have  to  inform  your  Eminence 
that,  as  the  result  of  a  mistake,  your  letter  was  not  deliv- 
ered to  me  till  2  o'clock  this  afternoon.  My  adjutant  has 
therefore  been  unable  to  proceed  to  your  palace  at  the  time 
mentioned. 

If  convenient  to  your  Eminence,  he  will  present  himself 
tomorrow  at  the  same  hour. 

I  beg  your  Eminence  to  excuse  this  mistake  and  to  ac- 
cept the  expression  of  my  profound  esteem. 

(Signed)  G.  Von  Wengersky, 

Colonel  and  Kreischef. 

This  letter  from  the  Kreischef  crossed  the  following 
from  the  Cardinal  : 

Archbishop* s  House,  Malines, 

February  yth,  19 15. 
To  the  Count  Wengersky,  Kreischef,  Malines. 

Dear  Count — I  am  afraid  you  did  not  receive  my  letter 
this  morning  in  time  to  enable  you  to  see  your  adjutant. 
I  hasten  therefore  to  inform  you  that  I  shall  be  delighted 
to  receive  your  delegate  tomorrow,  Wednesday,  at  4  p.  m. 
(5I1.  German  time).  However,  to  prevent  his  taking  a  step 
which  he  might  believe  fruitless,  I  think  it  my  duty  to  warn 
you  that  as  regards  the  priests  of  my  diocese  shot  by  Ger- 
man troops,  I  refer  to  my  letter  of  January  24th,  last. 

Accept,  my  dear  Count,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

On  February  10th,  at  the  appointed  hour,  the  adjutant, 
Von  Fleming,  presented  himself  at  the  Archbishop's  House 
and  renewed  the  questions  already  put  to  him  by  the  Kreis- 
chef. His  Eminence  answered  them  in  writing.  The  fol- 
lowing is  the  text  of  his  reply  signed  by  himself  and  the 
adjutant: 


7o     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


The  adjutant,  Von  Fleming,  asks  me  in  the  name  of  the 
Governor  General: 

(1)  In  what  parishes  priests  have  been  shot? 

(2)  What  troops  put  them  to  death  and  on  what  date? 

(3)  Is  the  bishop  of  the  diocese  ready  to  declare  posi- 
tively that  his  priests  were  innocent? 

The  names  of  the  parishes  have  already  been  printed 
in  my  Christmas  pastoral,  19 14,  on  page  65. 

The  German  headquarters  staff  is  better  informed  than 
any  one  else  as  to  what  troops  were  occupying  a  parish  on 
any  particular  day.  While  the  population  easily  recognize 
the  German  uniform,  they  are  for  the  most  part  unable  to 
distinguish  the  regiments  of  which  the  army  is  composed. 

I  have  good  reasons  for  my  personal  conviction  that  the 
priests  whose  names  I  have  cited  were  innocent;  but  in  jus- 
tice it  is  not  for  us  to  prove  their  innocence:  it  is  for  the 
military  authorities  who  have  proceeded  against  them  to 
establish  their  guilt. 

Witnesses  called  to  give  evidence  before  a  biased  com- 
mission will  in  general  be  afraid  to  tell  the  truth.  This  can 
only  be  obtained  fully  and  be  universally  accepted  as  such 
on  condition  that  a  mixed  commission  be  formed  to  investi- 
gate it  and  to  guarantee  an  impartial  and  exact  inquiry. 

And,  therefore,  I  cannot  but  renew  for  the  third  time 
my  proposal  to  confide  to  a  mixed  commission  made  up 
partly  of  German  magistrates  and  partly  of  Belgian  magis- 
trates the  task  of  throwing  full  light  on  facts  about  which 
the  Governor  General  has  had  the  happy  idea  to  institute  an 
inquiry.  In  order  that  the  results  of  the  inquiry  may  have 
all  desirable  weight,  it  were  well  that  the  tribunal  should  be 
presided  over  by  some  delegate  from  a  neutral  state. 

Malines,  February  10th,  191 5. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

(Signed)  Von  Fleming, 

Major  and  Adjutant  of  the  Kreischef  of  Malines. 

The  proposals  of  the  Cardinal  achieved  no  result  what- 
ever. 


CHAPTER  VII 


RELEASE  OF  THE  BELGIAN  DOCTORS  AND  CHEMISTS  CON- 
FINED AT  HEIDELBERG 

Reference  has  already  been  made  in  a  preceding  letter 
to  a  group  of  Belgian  army  doctors  and  pharmaceutical 
chemists  confined  at  Heidelberg  and  threatened  by  the  camp 
commandant  with  reprisals,  to  be  undertaken  as  a  sort  of 
protest  against  the  supposed  bad  treatment  to  which  it  was 
falsely  alleged  the  German  officer  prisoners  in  France  and 
Belgium  had  been  subjected.  The  Cardinal,  who  had  in- 
terceded with  Von  Bissing  on  his  compatriots*  behalf,  re- 
ceived the  following  reply: 

Governor  General,  Brussels, 

January  30//z,  191 5. 
To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  letter  which  your  Eminence  wrote  me  on  December 
17th,  19 14,*  led  me  to  obtain  precise  particulars  about  the 
twenty-three  doctors  and  twelve  pharmaceutical  chemists 
who  have  been  deported  to  Heidelberg. 

The  result  of  the  inquiries  I  have  made  is  that  the  com- 
petent authorities  had  at  first  the  intention  of  attaching 
them  to  the  Belgian  Medical  Service  quartered  in  Germany, 
but  that  this  plan  was  never  put  into  execution,  in  the  same 
way  as  it  was  not  found  possible  at  the  beginning  to  send 
them  into  Switzerland. 

Under  these  circumstances,  it  was  found  necessary  to 
intern  them  provisionally  in  the  officers'  camp  at  Heidelberg. 

Already  on  January  3rd  orders  were  sent  to  conduct 
them  to  Switzerland:  they  will  have  by  now  reached  the 
place  which  they  themselves  chose  for  their  residence. 

*  A  copy  of  this  letter  has  never  been  found. 

71 


72     CARDINAL  MERCIERE  OWN  STORY 


I  present  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Governor  General. 

The  Cardinal  thanked  Von  Bissing  for  his  intervention  : 

Archbishop' s  House,  M  alines, 

February  6thy  19 15. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — In  reply  to  the  letter  I  had  the  honor  of  addressing 
you  on  December  17th  last,  your  Excellency  has  been  so 
kind  as  to  inform  me  that  twenty-three  doctors  and  twelve 
dispensers,  prisoners  at  Heidelberg,  have  been  released. 

I  rejoice  at  the  result  of  the  steps  taken  by  your  Excel- 
lency and  think  it  my  duty  to  express  my  gratitude. 

Please  accept,  dear  Governor  General,  the  assurance  of 
my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Among  the  many  libels  on  Belgium  spread  broadcast 
by  the  Germans  in  the  course  of  their  world-wide  propa- 
ganda during  the  War,  the  Kaiser's  telegram  to  President 
Wilson  in  September,  19 14,  and  the  book  bearing  the  title 
of  "The  German  War  and  Catholicism.  A  German  Reply 
to  French  Attacks,  Edited  by  German  Catholics,"  were  un- 
surpassed for  cynical  mendacity  in  the  one  case  and  in  utter 
unscrupulousness  in  the  other. 

Given  to  the  public  in  19 15,  the  aim  of  this  book  was  to 
remove  the  slur  which  had  been  cast  on  the  German  troops 
by  their  conduct  in  Belgium  and  in  the  North  of  France, 
where  countless  massacres,  atrocities  and  wanton  destruc- 
tion of  every  kind  marked  their  trail. 

The  main  purport  of  the  book  was  to  show  that  the 
German  Army  was  forced  to  the  prosecution  of  this  cam- 
paign of  ruthlessness  by  the  hostile  and  treacherous  atti- 
tude taken  up  by  the  Belgian  people — a  proposition  which 


RELEASE  OF  BELGIAN  DOCTORS  73 


inevitably  involved  the  fabrication  of  charges  of  unheard- 
of  cruelty  against  the  Belgians. 

To  effect  this  purpose  a  very  simple  procedure  was 
adopted.  The  German  Staff  simply  accused  the  Belgians  of 
the  very  crimes  which  their  own  soldiers  had  committed, 
and  this  they  did  without  bringing  forward  the  slightest 
evidence  or  proof  to  substantiate  their  appalling  accusa- 
tions. A  more  cold-blooded,  deliberate,  collective,  national 
lie  has  probably  never  been  heard  of  before  and  what  makes 
it  the  more  outrageous  is  that  the  Kaiser  himself  and  the 
leaders  of  public  opinion  in  Germany  who  merely  echoed 
his  words,  endorsed  and  disseminated  these  charges  without 
making  the  least  attempt  to  enquire  into  their  truth  or 
falsity. 

Twice  did  Cardinal  Mercier,  shocked  and  righteously 
indignant  at  this  monstrous  injustice,  appeal  to  the  Occupy- 
ing Power  to  hold  an  impartial  inquiry,  but  no  answer  was 
vouchsafed.  Then  as  a  last  resort  he  called  upon  the  Epis- 
copates of  Germany  and  Austria-Hungary  to  at  least  afford 
Belgium  an  opportunity  to  vindicate  her  honor. 

The  following  letter,  drafted  by  Cardinal  Mercier,  was 
signed  by  all  the  Belgian  Bishops  with  whom  he  could  com- 
municate at  the  time: 

November  24th,  19 15. 
To  their  Eminences  the  Cardinals  and  their  Lordships,  the 
Bishops  of  Germany,  Bavaria  and  Austria-Hungary. 

Venerable  Brethren — For  over  a  year  now,  we  Catholic 
Bishops,  you  of  Germany  and  we  of  Belgium,  have  appeared 
to  the  world  in  a  very  uncertain  light. 

The  German  Armies  had  hardly  set  foot  on  our  soil 
when  a  rumor  was  circulated  in  all  your  country  that  our 
civilians  were  taking  an  active  part  in  military  operations, 
that  women  had  actually  gouged  out  the  eyes  of  your  sol- 
diers at  Visé  and  Liège  and  that  the  property  of  Germans 
expelled  from  Antwerp  had  been  looted  by  the  populace.* 

♦Note — An  important  section  of  German  Catholics  with  the  ostensible 
view  of  replying  to  a  French  work  entitled  "The  German  War  and  Cathol- 
icism" heaped  calumnies  on  the  heads  of  the  Belgian  people  and  a  Pader- 
born  schoolmaster  named  Rosenberg,  assuming  the  character  of  mouth- 
piece for  his  compatriots,  grossly  insulted  Belgian  honor  in  his  "The  Ger- 


74     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


In  the  early  days  of  August,  Dom  Ildephonsus  Her- 
wegen,  Abbot  of  Maria-Laach,  telegraphed  Cardinal  Mer- 
cier imploring  him  for  the  love  of  God  to  protect  German 
soldiers  against  the  serious  ill-treatment  they  were  alleged 
to  be  subjected  to  by  our  compatriots.  Now  it  was  well 
known  that  our  Government  had  left  no  stone  unturned  to 
instruct  our  people  in  the  laws  of  warfare.  In  every  town, 
village  or  hamlet  the  inhabitants  were  ordered  to  surrender 
whatever  firearms  they  had  in  their  possession  to  the  local 
authorities,  and,  in  addition,  bills  were  posted  up  informing 
them  that  those  citizens  alone  who  were  properly  enlisted 
were  authorized  to  bear  arms,  and  the  clergy,  in  their  eager- 
ness to  back  up  the  State,  gave  publicity  to  the  Government 
decrees,  both  by  word  of  mouth  and  by  issuing  them  in 
their  parish  magazines  and  affixing  them  to  their  church 
doors. 

We,  who  have  been  accustomed  to  a  peaceful  rule  dur- 
ing the  last  hundred  years,  were  unable  to  realize  that  any- 
one in  good  faith  could  credit  us  with  instincts  of  aggression 
and  knowing  that  right  was  on  our  side  and  that  our  pacific 
intentions  were  genuine,  we  merely  answered  the  calum- 
nious accusation  of  gouging  out  eyes  and  waging  a  guerilla 
warfare  against  the  Germans  with  a  shrug  of  the  shoulders, 
being  convinced  that  sooner  or  later — probably  sooner — 
the  truth  would  itself,  and  of  itself,  eventually  come  to 
light. 

The  Belgian  Episcopate  and  clergy  used  to  enter  into 
personal  relations  with  numerous  German  and  Austrian 
Bishops,  Religious  and  priests,  the  Eucharistie  Congresses 
held  at  Cologne  in  1909  and  Vienna  in  191 2  giving  them 
abundant  opportunity  of  getting  to  know  each  other  more 
intimately,  in  this  way  fostering  mutual  esteem.  Again,  we 
were  confident  that  we  should  not  be  judged  rashly  by  Cath- 

man  War  and  Catholicism.  A  German  Reply  to  French  Attacks,  Edited  by 
German  Catholics" — a  book  which  is  all  the  more  insidious  because  its 
tone  is  apparently  restrained. 

The  Cardinal  and  the  Bishops  of  Namur,  Liège  and  Tournai  replied 
to  this  book,  French  and  Flemish  translations  of  which  were  distributed 
broadcast  in  Belgium,  in  a  letter  to  their  German  and  Austrian  colleagues 
on  the  Episcopal  Bench  proposing  an  open  enquiry  into  Rosenberg's  allega- 
tions. 


RELEASE  OF  BELGIAN  DOCTORS  75 


olics  belonging  to  countries  at  war  with  us,  so  that  without 
allowing  the  contents  of  Dom  Ildephonsus'  telegram  to  un- 
duly perturb  him,  the  Cardinal  was  satisfied  with  inviting 
him  to  unite  with  the  Belgians  in  preaching  the  Gospel  of 
meekness,  for,  added  he,  we  hear  that  German  soldiers  are 
shooting  down  innocent  Belgian  priests. 

Dating  from  the  very  beginning  of  August,  outrages 
were  perpetrated  at  Battice,  Visé,  Berneau,  Herve  and  else- 
where, and  we  earnestly  hoped  that  they  would  prove  to  be 
isolated  instances  and,  with  the  knowledge  we  had  that  Dom 
Ildephonsus  was  an  influential  man,  we  gave  credence  to  the 
following  declaration  he  kindly  made  to  us  on  August  1  ith: 

"I  have  first-hand  information  to  the  effect  that  the  mili- 
tary authorities  issued  formal  orders  to  the  German  troops 
to  spare  the  innocent.  As  to  the  deplorable  fact  that  cer- 
tain priests  have  laid  down  their  lives  may  I  point  out  to 
your  Eminence  that  the  ecclesiastical  soutane  and  monastic 
habit  have  become  objects  of  suspicion  and  scandal  owing 
to  French  spies  having  recently  disguised  themselves  as 
priests  and  monks,  the  better  to  hide  their  nefarious  pur- 
pose. " 

Notwithstanding  this,  outrages  against  innocent  people 
continued  apace. 

On  August  1 8th,  19 14,  the  Bishop  of  Liège  wrote  to 
Commandant  Bayer,  who  was  acting  as  Governor  of  Liège  : 
"Many  of  our  villages  have  been  razed  to  the  ground  one 
after  the  other,  and  influential  men,  among  them  certain 
Rectors  of  parishes,  shot  down,  others  again  have  been 
placed  under  arrest,  all,  however,  loudly  protesting  their 
innocence. 

"I  know  my  diocesan  clergy  too  well  to  believe  any  one 
of  them  guilty  of  hostile  acts  against  the  Germans.  In  the 
course  of  my  visits  to  different  hospitals,  I  have  found  Ger- 
man wounded  receiving  the  same  careful  treatment  as  the 
Belgians — a  fact  even  your  own  soldiers  admit."  * 

*  Note — This  protest  was  renewed  on  August  22nd,  when  General 
Kolewe  became  Military  Governor  of  Liège,  and  again  on  August  29th, 
when  it  was  forwarded  to  Baron  von  der  Goltz,  Governor  General  of  the 
Occupied  Provinces  of  Belgium,  whose  Headquarters  were  at  that  time  in 
Bishop's  House,  Liège. 


76     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 

No  reply  was  returned  to  this  letter. 

In  the  beginning  of  September  the  Kaiser  cast  the  man- 
tle of  his  authority  over  the  calumnies  uttered  against  our 
innocent  people,  when  he  dispatched  his  telegram  to  Presi- 
dent Wilson,  the  contents  of  which  have  not  been  with- 
drawn, to  the  best  of  our  knowledge,  even  to  this  day: 

"The  Belgian  Government  has  publicly  encouraged  ci- 
vilians to  take  part  in  a  War,  for  which  they  have  made 
long  and  careful  preparations.  In  the  course  of  this  guerilla 
warfare,  such  cruel  outrages  have  been  committed  on  doc- 
tors and  nurses  by  women  and  even  priests  that  my  Gen- 
erals have  at  last  been  compelled  to  take  the  most  stringent 
measures  to  punish  the  guilty  and  put  a  stop  to  these  odious 
and  abominable  crimes  committed  by  bloodthirsty  civilians. 
We  have  been  obliged  to  destroy  several  villages  as  also  the 
town  of  Louvain,  its  fine  Town  Hall  excepted,  and  my  heart 
bleeds  when  I  see  that  this  destruction  was  inevitable  for 
defensive  reasons  and  in  order  to  protect  our  armies,  and 
again  when  I  think  of  the  innumerable  innocent  people  who 
have  lost  their  homes  and  goods  and  chattels  as  the  result 
of  the  criminal  acts  in  question." 

This  telegram  of  the  Kaiser's  was  posted  up  in  Belgium 
by  order  of  the  Governor  General  on  September  nth,  and 
on  the  following  day  the  Bishop  of  Namur  demanded  audi- 
ence of  the  Military  Governor  of  that  Province  to  protest 
against  the  stigma  the  Kaiser  attempted  to  cast  on  the 
Belgian  clergy.  He  maintained  that  every  priest  shot  down 
or  subjected  to  ill-treatment  was  innocent  of  the  charge  pre- 
ferred against  him  and  expressed  himself  as  ready  to  de- 
nounce publicly  of  his  own  accord  any  crimes  that  could  suc- 
cessfully be  laid  at  the  door  of  the  clergy. 

The  Bishop  of  Namur's  offer  was  not  accepted  nor  did 
his  protest  have  any  tangible  result.  Thus  a  free  rein  was 
given  to  the  libel,  the  German  Press  exerting  itself  to  the 
utmost  to  spread  it  rather  than  stay  its  course. 

The  Catholic  Centre  Party  paper,  the  " Cologne  Peo- 
ple's Gazette,"  in  particular,  rivaled  the  Lutheran  Press 
in  its  exaggerated  and  unreasoning  patriotism,  and  when 


RELEASE  OF  BELGIAN  DOCTORS  77 


thousands  of  our  fellow  citizens,  ecclesiastical  as  well  as 
laymen,  as  guiltless  of  war-like  acts  or  cruelties  as  you 
yourselves  or  we  are,  were  led  into  captivity  from  Visé, 
Aerschot,  Wesemael,  Berent,  Louvain  and  twenty  other 
places,  and  passed  through  Aix-la-Chapelle  and  Cologne 
stations,  where  for  several  hours,  which  must  have  seemed 
to  them  an  eternity,  they  were  handed  over  to  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  capital  of  Rhineland  as  objects  of  a  morbid 
curiosity,  our  poor  people  were  sorrow-stricken  at  finding 
their  fellow  Catholics  as  insulting  and  abusive  as  any  Lu- 
theran sectarian  at  Celle,  Soltau  or  Magdeburg.  Not  a 
voice  was  uplifted  in  Germany  in  defence  of  these  poor 
victims. 

In  this  way,  the  fairy-tale,  whereby  innocent  men  were 
transformed  into  guilty  ones — this  flagrant  violation  of  jus- 
tice received  its  sanction,  and  on  May  10th,  19 15,  it  was 
cynically  reiterated  in  the  German  "White  Book,"  the  offi- 
cial organ  of  the  Empire,  and  the  following  offensive,  cow- 
ardly, lying  statement  went  the  round  of  neutral  countries: 

uIt  cannot  be  doubted  but  that  German  wounded  have 
been  robbed  and  then  killed  in  cold  blood  or  shockingly  mu- 
tilated by  the  Belgian  people,  even  women  and  children  co- 
operating in  these  outrages.  German  wounded  have  had 
their  eyes  gouged  out,  their  eyes,  noses,  fingers  and  genital 
organs  lopped  off  or  have  been  disemboweled.  Again  Ger- 
man soldiers  have  been  poisoned,  hung  from  branches  of 
trees,  and  have  had  boiling  liquids  poured  over  them  and 
sometimes  even  been  burnt  alive,  succumbing  eventually 
under  excruciating  sufferings.  This  inhuman  conduct  of  the 
Belgians  not  only  violates  the  explicit  provisions  of  the 
Geneva  Convention  as  to  the  consideration  to  be  shown  and 
treatment  to  be  meted  out  to  enemy  wounded,  but  also  con- 
travenes the  fundamental  principles  and  laws  of  Hu- 
manity." * 

Venerable  Brethren  in  the  Faith  and  priesthood,  put 
yourselves  for  a  moment  in  our  place. 

We  know  that  these  accusations  of  the  Imperial  Gov- 

*  Note — Die  V'olkerrechtsvjidrige  Fùhrung  des  Belgischen  Volkskriegs. 
Denkschrift,  S.  4. 


78     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


ernment  are  false  from  beginning  to  end,  yea,  not  only  do 
we  know  it,  we  even  swear  they  are. 

Now,  your  Government,  in  order  to  justify  itself,  calls 
on  witnesses  who  have  never  been  subjected  to  the  test  of 
cross-examination  before  any  inquiry.  Is  it  not  your  duty, 
not  merely  in  charity  but  in  strict  justice,  to  seek  enlighten- 
ment and  bring  the  truth  home  to  your  flocks? — to  give  us 
an  opportunity  to  prove  our  innocence  by  legal  methods? 

In  the  name  of  Christian  charity,  whereby  national  con- 
flicts are  ruled,  you  should  make  this  act  of  reparation,  and 
you  owe  it  to  us  today  in  strict  justice,  because  a  Commit- 
tee, composed  of  Germans  of  eminence  in  Science,  Politics 
or  Religion  enjoying  at  least  your  tacit  approval,  took  these 
official  libels  under  its  wing  and  entrusted  a  Catholic  priest 
and  Professor  of  Paderborn,  Herr  A.  T.  Rosenberg,  with 
the  task  of  tabulating  them  in  his  book,  "The  False  Accu- 
sations of  French  Catholics  against  Germany,"  thereby 
making  Catholic  Germany  responsible  for  actively  and  pub- 
licly spreading  these  calumnies  broadcast  to  the  detriment 
of  the  fair  name  of  Belgium. 

When  the  French  book,  against  which  the  German 
Catholics  brought  out  their  own,  made  its  first  appearance, 
their  Eminences  Cardinal  von  Hartmann,  Archbishop  of 
Cologne,  and  Cardinal  von  Bettinger,  Archbishop  of  Mu- 
nich, felt  themselves  called  upon  to  send  the  Kaiser  a  tele- 
gram couched  in  these  terms  : 

"Disgusted  with  the  falsehoods  uttered  against  the 
Fatherland  and  its  glorious  Army  in  the  'German  War  and 
Catholicism/  we  feel  we  must,  in  the  name  of  the  German 
Episcopate,  express  to  your  Majesty  our  sorrowful  indigna- 
tion. We  shall  not  fail  to  lay  our  complaint  at  the  feet  of 
the  Sovereign  Pontiff." 

We,  too,  Venerable  Brethren  of  the  German  Episco- 
pate, are  disgusted  in  our  turn  with  the  falsehoods  uttered 
against  our  beloved  country  and  its  glorious  Army  in  the 
German  "White  Book"  and  reiterated  by  the  German  Cath- 
olics in  their  reply  to  this  French  Catholic  work,  and  in  or- 
der that  our  protest  may  not  prove  ineffective  in  the  face  of 


RELEASE  OF  BELGIAN  DOCTORS  79 


yours,  we  request  you  to  lend  us  your  aid  in  setting  up  a 
commission  of  inquiry  where  these  charges  can  be  sifted 
and  disproved.  You  may,  in  virtue  of  your  official  position, 
nominate  as  many  members  as  you  please,  and  we  will  ap- 
point an  equal  number  ourselves,  for  example,  three  on  each 
side.  Then  together  we  will  approach  the  Bishops  of  some 
neutral  country,  either  Holland,  Spain,  Switzerland  or  the 
United  States,  and  ask  them  to  appoint  one  of  their  number 
to  act  as  referee  and  preside  over  the  business  of  the  In- 
quiry. 

You  have  laid  your  complaints  before  the  supreme  head 
of  the  Church  :  it  would  be  unjust  if  he  were  to  hear  no  other 
voice  but  yours.  Both  Episcopates  have  an  identical  duty, 
which  is  to  lay  before  his  Holiness  duly  authenticated  docu- 
ments to  enable  him  to  form  and  give  a  considered  judg- 
ment. You  can  hardly  be  unaware  of  our  repeated  attempts 
to  induce  the  Occupying  Power  in  Belgium  to  set  up  this 
Commission  of  Inquiry.  Cardinal  Mercier  applied  in  writ- 
ing on  two  different  occasions,  the  one  on  January  24th, 
19 15,  the  other  on  February  10th  of  the  same  year,  and 
the  Bishop  of  Namur  in  his  letter  to  the  Military  Governor 
of  that  Province  under  date  of  April  12th,  19 15,  called  for 
the  formation  of  a  tribunal  consisting  of  Belgian  and  Ger- 
man members  in  equal  numbers  under  the  presidency  of  a 
delegate  from  a  neutral  country,  but  these  pressing  appeals 
met  with  nothing  but  an  obstinate  refusal.  All  the  same 
the  German  authorities  were  very  anxious  to  set  up  some 
kind  of  tribunal,  but  they  insisted  on  its  being  one-sided  and 
consequently  of  no  value  from  a  judicial  point  of  view. 

After  refusing  Cardinal  Mercier' s  request,  they  paid 
a  visit  to  the  different  localities  where  priests  had  been  shot 
down  and  peaceable  citizens  massacred  or  imprisoned  and 
there  on  the  testimony  of  certain  witnesses  whom  they  called 
before  them  haphazard  or  chose  with  careful  discrimination, 
in  some  cases  in  the  presence  of  a  representative  of  the  local 
authorities  who  had  no  knowledge  of  German,  and  conse- 
quently had  no  alternative  but  to  accept  and  append  his  sig- 
nature to  a  document,  .the  contents  of  which  he  could  only 


8o     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


take  on  trust,  they  considered  themselves  able  to  base  conclu- 
sions to  be  afterwards  given  to  the  world  as  the  findings  of 
an  impartial  Commission. 

This  was  the  method  adopted  at  the  German  inquiry 
at  Louvain  in  19 14,  which  was  in  consequence  devoid  of  all 
authority,  and  so  we  naturally  turn  to  you.  You  will  be 
good  enough  to  grant  us  the  tribunal  refused  to  us  by  the 
Occupying  Power  and  we  trust  you  will  obtain  for  us  from 
your  Government  a  public  declaration  enabling  your  wit- 
nesses and  ours  to  appear  and  give  full  and  complete  evi- 
dence without  any  fear  of  reprisals.  They  will  have  a 
greater  sense  of  security  in  your  presence  and  will  receive 
every  encouragement  to  testify  to  what  they  have  seen  and 
heard.  The  world,  too,  will  have  every  confidence  in  the 
united  Episcopate  of  the  two  countries.  Our  joint  exami- 
nation of  whatever  evidence  may  be  laid  before  us  will  give 
it  the  stamp  of  authority  and  effectively  guarantee  the  trust- 
worthiness of  the  official  reports  of  the  tribunal.  An  in- 
quiry conducted  on  these  lines  will  enable  us  to  establish  the 
real  truth,  and  we  ask  for  it,  Venerable  Brethren,  in  order 
to  vindicate  the  honor  of  the  Belgian  people  and  remove 
the  slur  certain  sections  of  your  countrymen,  including 
the  more  important  among  your  leading  men,  have  cast 
upon  the  fair  name  of  Belgium.  And  you  are  as  well  ac- 
quainted as  ourselves  with  an  axiom  of  Moral,  Human, 
Christian  and  Catholic  Theology:  uNo  pardon  without 
restitution."  Non  remittitur  peccatum,  nisi  restituatur  abla- 
tum.  Your  people,  speaking  through  the  mouthpiece  of 
their  highest  political  and  moral  authorities,  have  accused 
our  citizens  of  perpetrating  atrocities  and  horrors  on  Ger- 
man wounded,  as  set  forth  in  detail  in  the  above  quotation 
from  the  "White  Book"  and  the  German  Catholics'  mani- 
festo. These  charges  we  formally  deny  and  all  we  ask  for 
is  to  be  allowed  to  furnish  proof  positive  that  our  disavowal 
of  them  is  well  founded. 

On  the  other  hand,  to  justify  the  atrocities  committed 
by  German  troops  in  Belgium,  your  Government,  as  shown 
by  the  very  title  of  the  "White  Book"  :  Die  Vôlkerrechtswi- 
drige  Fiihrung  des  Beigischen  Volkskriegs  (The  violation 


RELEASE  OF  BELGIAN  DOCTORS  81 


of  International  Law  in  the  Belgian  method  of  warfare), 
and  the  hundred  Catholic  signatories  to  "The  German  War 
and  Catholicism.  A  German  Reply  to  French  Attacks," 
both  maintain  that  the  German  Army  in  Belgium  is  acting 
on  the  defensive  against  a  treacherous  organization  of 
francs-tireurs.  We  on  the  contrary  affirm  that  no  such  or- 
ganization has  ever  existed  anywhere  in  Belgium  and  in  the 
name  of  our  national  honor  defamed  by  these  libels,  we 
claim  the  right  to  prove  absolute  truth  of  this  assertion. 

You  may  summon  whom  you  like  before  this  commission 
of  inquiry,  indeed  we  invite  you  to  order  the  appearance  of 
the  Rector  of  any  Parish  where  civilians,  priests,  religious 
or  laymen  have  been  massacred  or  threatened  with  death  to 
the  cry  of,  "man  hat  geschossen"  (somebody  has  fired). 
We  will,  if  you  wish,  give  all  these,  the  priests,  the  option  of 
signing  their  statements  on  oath,  and  at  the  price  of  hold- 
ing up  the  whole  Belgian  clergy  to  obloquy  as  perjurous, 
you  will  have  to  accept  the  findings  of  this  solemn  and  de- 
cisive inquiry  in  common  with  the  rest  of  the  civilized  world. 
We  would  add,  Veneral  Brethren,  that  the  setting  up  of  this 
Court  of  Honor  is  as  vital  to  your  interests  as  it  is  to  ours, 
for  we  know  by  personal  experience  and  affirm  that  in  a 
hundred  different  places  in  Belgium  the  German  Army  has 
given  itself  up  to  pillage,  arson,  massacres,  imprisonings  and 
sacrileges  in  direct  violation  of  all  the  laws  of  justice  and 
humanity,  notably  in  those  communes  mentioned  by  name  in 
our  Pastor  Letters  and  in  two  notes  sent  by  the  Bishops  of 
Liège  and  Namur  on  October  31st  and  November  1st, 
19 1 5,  respectively,  to  his  Holiness,  Pope  Benedict  XV,  the 
Papal  Nuncio  at  Brussels  and  the  Ambassadors  and  repre- 
sentatives of  neutral  countries  accredited  to  the  Court  of 
Brussels  and  resident  in  that  city. 

Fifty  priests  and  thousands  of  the  Faithful,  all  of  them 
absolutely  innocent  of  the  crimes  for  which  they  paid  the 
extreme  penalty,  were  executed,  whilst  hundreds  of  others 
who  owed  their  lives  to  a  chain  of  circumstances  beyond 
the  control  of  their  persecutors  were  in  imminent  peril. 
Some  thousands  of  guiltless  citizens  were  arrested  and  sent 
to  prison  without  previous  trial  or  conviction,  and  on  their 


82     CARDINAL  MERCIERE  OWN  STORY 


release  it  was  found  that  the  most  minute  cross-examination 
had  failed  to  elicit  any  evidence  against  them. 

These  outrages  cry  to  Heaven  for  vengeance. 

If,  in  laying  this  information  against  the  German 
Army,  we  have  been  guilty  of  calumny,  or  in  case  the  mili- 
tary authorities  had  good  and  just  reasons  for  ordering 
or  permitting  what  we  cannot  but  style  criminal  conduct, 
the  Germans  will,  if  they  retain  any  sense  of  national  honor, 
or  have  the  true  interest  of  their  country  at  heart,  refute 
us.  But  so  long  as  German  justice  shirks  the  ordeal,  we 
shall  hold  fast  to  our  rights  and  fulfill  our  duty  of  denounc- 
ing what  we  conscientiously  consider  to  be  a  grave  perver- 
sion of  justice  and  a  slur  on  our  national  honor. 

During  the  session  of  the  Reichstag  on  August  4th  the 
Chancellor  of  the  German  Empire  declared  that  the  inva- 
sion of  Luxemburg  and  Belgium  was  "contrary  to  the  pro- 
visions of  International  Law."  He  admitted  that  "in  cross- 
ing the  frontiers  in  spite  of  the  justifiable  protests  of  the 
Luxemburg  and  Belgian  Governments,  he  had  committed 
an  injustice  for  which  he  promised  reparation,"  and  the 
Sovereign  Pontiff,  too,  not  only  purposely  alluded  to  Bel- 
gium in  a  letter  he  deigned  to  write  to  a  member  of  the 
Government,  M.  Van  den  Heuvel,  through  his  Secretary  of 
State,  Cardinal  Gasparri,  but  also  delivered  this  unalterable 
judgment  in  his  consistorial  address:  "The  duty  of  pro- 
claiming above  everything  else  that  no  one  may,  for  any  rea- 
son whatsoever,  commit  a  breach  of  justice  devolves  on  the 
Roman  Pontiff,  who  has  been  constituted  by  Almighty  God 
the  supreme  interpreter  and  upholder  of  the  Eternal  Law." 

Nevertheless,  from  that  time  onwards  politicians  and 
casuists  have  attempted  to  evade  or  water  down  these  de- 
cisive words  of  the  Holy  Father,  and  the  German  Catholics, 
who  in  their  reply  to  the  French  "German  War  and  Cathol- 
icism" have  recourse  to  the  same  empty  quibbles,  would,  if 
they  could,  bolster  them  up  with  an  alleged  fact. 

They  have  at  their  disposal  two  affidavits.  One  of  these 
is  anonymous  and  its  author  alleges  that  he  saw  French 
officers  in  conversation  with  Belgian  officers  on  the  Boule- 
vard Anspach  at  Brussels  on  July  26th,  whilst  in  the  sec- 


RELEASE  OF  BELGIAN  DOCTORS  83 


ond,  made  by  a  certain  Gustave  Lochard  of  Rimogne,  it  is 
alleged  that  two  regiments  of  French  Dragoons,  the  28th 
and  30th,  and  a  battery  of  French  Artillery  crossed  the  Bel- 
gian frontier  in  the  evening  of  July  31st,  19 14,  and  were 
quartered  exclusively  on  Belgian  territory  during  the  whole 
of  the  following  week. 

Now  the  Belgian  Government  declares  that  "no  body  of 
French  troops,  however  small,  penetrated  into  Belgium  be- 
fore the  declaration  of  war,"  and  adds:  "No  reliable  wit- 
ness can  be  found  to  refute  this  solemn  assertion."  There- 
fore it  casts  back  in  their  teeth  as  false  the  allegation  made 
by  the  German  Catholics  and  from  this  arises  a  primary 
question,  at  once  political  and  moral,  about  which  we  must 
enlighten  the  public  mind.  In  case,  however,  you  decline 
to  undertake  the  investigation  of  this  question  we  would  ask 
you  to  be  good  enough  to  sift  all  the  evidence  the  German 
Catholics  have  relied  on,  even  if  it  only  serves  to  settle  the 
case  against  us.  Gustave  Lochard's  evidence  can  easily  be 
verified.  Besides,  the  German  Catholics  will  be  anxious  to 
rid  themselves  of  the  stigma  of  untruthfulness  and  will  make 
it  their  bounden  duty  to  retract  in  case  they  have  allowed 
themselves  to  be  misled  to  our  detriment. 

We  are  well  aware  that  you  decline  to  believe  that  regi- 
ments whose  discipline,  honesty  and  deep  religious  faith  you 
profess  to  know  so  well  could  possibly  give  themselves  over 
to  such  atrocities  as  we  allege  against  them.  Do  you  wish 
to  deceive  yourselves  into  believing  that  they  did  not  do  so 
because  they  are  incapable  of  it?  And  we,  on  our  side,  are 
compelled  to  retort  that  the  evidence  in  our  possession 
proves  to  demonstration  that  they  are  capable  for  the  simple 
reason  that  they  have  committed  them.  No  presumption 
can  hold  its  own  against  a  fact,  and  there  remains  but  one 
issue  before  us  both,  viz.,  the  verifying  of  this  fact  by  a 
commission  whose  impartiality  is  so  obvious  as  to  be  recog- 
nized by  everybody  as  unquestionable. 

We  have  no  difficulty  in  understanding  your  frame  of 
mind.  We,  too,  have  a  great  regard,  if  you  will  be  good 
enough  to  believe  it,  for  the  spirit  of  discipline,  industry  and 
religious  faith  by  which  your  compatriots  are  animated.  We 


84     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


have  often  seen  this  with  our  own  eyes,  and  have  reliable 
information  to  the  same  effect,  but,  alas,  there  are  many  Bel- 
gians today  who,  in  the  light  of  the  terrible  experiences 
through  which  they  passed  during  the  months  of  August  and 
September,  own  that  they  have  been  bitterly  deceived.  Truth 
has  conquered  their  strongest  preconceived  notions  of  the 
Germans.  The  fact  is  now  beyond  the  shadow  of  doubt. 
Belgium  has  suffered  martyrdom. 

When  foreigners  from  neutral  countries,  Americans, 
Dutch,  Swiss,  and  Spaniards,  ask  us  how  Germany  carried 
on  this  war,  and  we  picture  to  them  certain  scenes,  the  hor- 
ror of  which  were  so  realistically  brought  home  to  us  in 
spite  of  ourselves,  we  have  had  to  weaken  the  impression 
our  recital  would  of  itself  tend  to  create,  so  imbued  are  we 
with  the  idea  that  the  truth,  shorn  of  all  adornment,  exceeds 
the  bounds  of  all  probability.  Yet  when  once  you  have  been 
face  to  face  with  realities  in  their  entirety  and  have  been 
able  to  analyze  both  the  proximate  and  remote  causes  of 
what  one  of  your  generals,  reviewing  the  ruins  of  the  little 
village  of  Schaffen-lez-Diest  and  the  martyrdom  of  its  Par- 
ish Priest,  styled  "a  tragic  blunder,"  when  you  have  realized 
the  various  influences  under  which  your  soldiers  labored  at 
the  moment  of  their  entry  into  Belgium  and  the  elation  they 
experienced  as  the  result  of  their  early  victories,  the  unlikeli- 
hood of  the  truth  will  appear  to  you,  as  it  did  to  us,  less 
disconcerting. 

But  above  all,  Venerable  Brethren,  do  not  let  yourselves 
be  held  back  on  the  empty  plea  that  an  immediate  inquiry 
would  be  premature.  Strictly  speaking,  we  alone  might  be 
justified  in  urging  this  excuse,  since  if  the  inquiry  were 
opened  now,  the  conditions  surrounding  it  would  not  be  at 
all  in  our  favor.  Our  people  have  indeed  been  terrorized 
to  such  an  extent  and  the  prospect  of  reprisals  is  still  so 
appalling  that  the  witnesses  we  should  have  to  summon  be- 
fore a  tribunal  composed  partly  of  Germans  would  hardly 
have  enough  courage  to  tell  the  whole  truth.  Even  so,  we 
have  cogent  reasons  for  not  brooking  any  delay.  The  first 
which  will  go  the  straightest  to  your  heart  is  that  we  are 
weak  whilst  you  are  strong.    You  would  not  care  to  take 


RELEASE  OF  BELGIAN  DOCTORS  85 


an  unfair  advantage  of  us  by  abusing  your  power.  Public 
opinion  generally  favors  him  who  is  first  in  the  field  with 
his  story.  Now,  whilst  you  are  free  to  flood  neutral  coun- 
tries with  your  propaganda  literature,  we,  on  the  contrary, 
are  hedged  in  on  all  sides  and  reduced  to  silence.  We  are 
scarcely  allowed  to  make  our  voices  heard  even  inside  our 
own  churches.  Sermons  are  practically  censored,  that  is  to 
say,  they  are  distorted  by  spies  in  your  pay,  and  any  pro- 
test we  may  make  in  conscience  is  termed  an  act  of  sedition 
against  public  authority.  Again  our  writings  are  stopped 
at  the  frontier  and  treated  as  so  much  contraband.  You 
alone  enjoy  full  liberty  of  speech  and  pen,  and  if  in  the 
spirit  of  charity  and  fair  play  you  obtain  a  small  portion  of 
this  for  accused  Belgians,  thereby  enabling  them  to  defend 
their  cause,  it  will  then  be  your  duty  to  become  their  imme- 
diate protectors. 

The  old  legal  axiom,  Audiatur  et  altera  pars,  is,  they 
say,  inscribed  over  the  portals  of  many  German  Courts  of 
Justice.  In  any  case,  in  all  proceedings  in  the  Ecclesiastical 
Courts,  both  here  and  in  Germany,  judgment  is  always 
founded  on  this  primary  adage.  Then  again  you  doubtless 
have  in  common  with  us  a  popular  proverb,  metaphorically 
expressed  thus:  "He  who  hears  only  one  bell  hears  but 
one  sound." 

You  will  perhaps  say  that  all  this  is  ancient  history.  Let 
the  dead  bury  its  dead.  Instead  of  fanning  the  smoldering 
embers  into  a  blaze,  rather  be  forgiving  and  make  common 
cause  with  the  occupying  power  in  their  efforts  to  heal  the 
wounds  the  unfortunate  Belgian  people  have  received.  Ven- 
erable Brethren,  do  not  add  irony  to  injustice.  Have  we 
not  suffered  enough?  Have  we  not  been  on  the  rack  long 
enough  yet?  Must  we  still  be  subjected  to  cruel  tortures? 
All  that  is  now  over,  we  hear  you  saying.  Accept  it  with 
resignation  and  forget.  Past!  Why,  our  wounds  are  still 
bleeding!  There  is  no  man  with  any  sense  of  honor  who 
does  not  swell  with  indignation.  When  we  hear  our  Gov- 
ernment declaim  in  the  teeth  of  the  whole  world:  "He  is 
doubly  guilty  who,  having  infringed  the  rights  of  another, 
attempts  with  cold  cynicism  to  justify  himself  by  imputing 


86     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


to  his  victim  crimes  he  has  never  committed,"  violence  alone 
silences  the  curses  that  rise  to  the  lips  of  our  people.  Only 
yesterday  one  of  the  inhabitants  of  a  Mechlin  suburb  learned 
that  his  son  had  fallen  on  the  field  of  battle  and  the  brave 
father  answered  the  priest  who  conveyed  the  sad  news  to 
him  and  offered  words  of  consolation  and  comfort,  "Oh, 
that  one.   I  gave  him  freely  to  his  Fatherland,  but  my  eldest 

son,  those  cruelly  murdered  him  and  flung  his  body 

into  a  ditch." 

Tell  us,  how  could  we  possibly  elicit  a  sincere  expres- 
sion of  forgiveness  and  resignation  from  an  unhappy  people 
who  have  experienced  such  anguish  so  long  as  those  who 
have  brought  this  suffering  into  their  lives  refuse  to  utter 
one  word  in  acknowledgment  of  their  wrongdoing,  one 
word  of  repentance  or  one  word  promising  reparation? 

Germany  cannot  give  us  back  the  blood  she  has  shed  or 
the  innocent  lives  her  Army  has  destroyed,  but  it  is  in  her 
power  to  restore  the  good  name  of  Belgium  on  which  she 
has  herself  cast  a  slur  or  allowed  others  to  do  so,  and  in  your 
capacity  of  foremost  representatives  of  Christian  morality 
in  the  German  Church  we  demand  this  restitution  of  you. 

There  is  indeed  something  much  more  deplorable  than 
mere  political  divisions  or  material  calamities,  viz.,  the  spirit 
of  hatred,  fostered  by  real  or  presumed  injustice,  seething 
and  growing  in  intensity  the  while  in  hearts  made  rather  for 
love.  Is  it  not  our  duty  as  Pastors  of  our  people  to  make  it 
easier  for  them  to  unburden  their  souls  of  these  evil  emo- 
tions, and  strengthen  the  now  shaken  foundations  of  true 
justice  and  union  in  charity  which  should  reign  uppermost 
in  the  hearts  of  all  children  of  the  great  Catholic  family? 

The  Occupying  Power  has,  both  verbally  and  in  writing, 
expressed  its  intention  to  heal  our  wounds.  But  in  foro 
externo,  intention  is  judged  by  action.  Now  the  only  thing 
we  poor  Belgians,  temporarily  under  the  heel  of  the  German 
Empire,  know  is  that  a  power  which  gave  its  word  of  honor 
to  govern  us  according  to  International  Law  as  laid  down 
in  the  Hague  Convention,  has  repudiated  its  solemn  engage- 
ment. What  we  have  in  mind  now  is  not  so  much  isolated 
abuses  of  power  from  which  certain  individuals  or  districts 


RELEASE  OF  BELGIAN  DOCTORS  87 


have  suffered.  These  can  only  be  proved  by  a  thorough  in- 
vestigation to  be  made  when  War  is  over,  but  rather  those 
specific  acts  of  the  Government  which  were  drawn  up  in  the 
form  of  proclamations  and  notices  and  posted  up  by  its  or- 
der on  walls  and  hoardings  in  our  towns.  Their  authenticity 
and  consequently  your  Government's  direct  responsibility 
for  them  cannot  therefore  be  called  into  question. 

Now  the  breaches  of  the  Hague  Convention  committed 
by  the  Germans  from  the  first  days  of  the  occupation  until 
the  present  time  are  many  and  flagrant.  We  merely  give 
you  here  certain  headings  as  it  were  and  would  refer  you  to 
an  appendix  for  proofs  of  our  allegations.* 

The  principal  infringements  are  as  follows  : — 

Collective  punishments  inflicted  on  account  of  the  mis- 
demeanors of  individuals  contrary  to  Art.  52. 

Forced  labor  contrary  to  Art.  52. 

New  taxation  contrary  to  Arts.  48,  49,  and  52. 

Abuse  of  requisitions  in  kind  contrary  to  Art.  52. 

Systematic  ignoring  of  the  laws  in  force  in  the  country 
contrary  to  Art.  43. 

These  violations  of  International  Law  which  serve  only 
to  aggravate  our  unhappy  lot  and  swell  the  leaven  of  hatred 
and  revolt  in  hearts  normally  peaceable  and  charitable, 
would  never  be  persisted  in  if  those  who  commit  them  did 
not  feel  they  were  upheld,  if  not  by  the  positive  approval 
of  the  leaders  of  public  opinion  in  their  own  country,  at  all 
events  by  their  tacit  consent.  Therefore  with  every  confi- 
dence that  it  will  reach  your  charitable  hearts,  we  again 
make  our  appeal.  We  are,  as  we  said  once  before,  the 
weak,  while  you  are  the  strong.  Come  and  see  for  your- 
selves if  it  is  still  right  for  you  to  withhold  your  assistance. 

Besides  the  particular  reasons  why  this  commission  of 
enquiry,  composed  of  Catholic  Bishops,  should  be  set  up, 
there  are  others  of  a  more  general  nature,  passing  reference 
to  which  we  have  already  made.  Amongst  these  is  the 
danger  of  scandal  for  those  people  who  own  that  they  are 
not  edified  at  seeing  us  divided  among  ourselves.  We  must 
then  be  on  our  guard  against  provoking  them  to  blasphemy 

*  Note — See  p.  90  of  the  text. 


88     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


in  thought.  Our  own  people  fail  to  understand  how  you 
can  possibly  be  blind  to  the  flagrant  dual  injustice  inflicted  on 
Belgium — the  violation  of  our  neutrality  and  the  inhuman 
conduct  of  your  troops,  and,  moreover,  why  in  the  light  of 
this  knowledge  you  do  not  make  your  voices  heard  on  all 
sides  in  condemnation  of  these  wrongs,  and  repudiate  your 
connection  with  them. 

On  the  other  hand,  your  own  countrymen,  Catholics  and 
Protestants  alike,  cannot  but  be  scandalized  at  the  character 
your  press  attributes  to  both  clergy  and  people  belonging  to 
a  country  the  Government  of  which  has  been  Catholic  for 
thirty  years.  On  September  21st,  19 14,  the  Bishop  of  Hil- 
desheim,  addressing  his  clergy,  said:  "Take  care  that  the 
airing  of  these  grievances  against  priests,  religious,  monks 
of  Catholic  nations  in  the  columns  of  the  press  does  not 
drive  a  wedge  between  German  Catholics  and  Protestants 
and  imperil  the  future  of  Religion  in  the  Empire." 

But  the  campaign  of  falsehood  and  calumny  directed 
against  our  clergy  and  people  shows  no  sign  of  abating.  On 
the  contrary,  Herr  Erzberger,  a  member  of  the  Centre,  ap- 
pears to  have  taken  it  upon  himself  to  add  fuel  to  the  flame, 
while  even  in  Belgium  itself  one  of  your  priests,  Heinrich 
Mohr  by  name,  preaching  to  the  German  troops  in  Antwerp 
Cathedral  on  the  16th  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  actually 
dared  to  say  from  the  pulpit:  "Official  documents  tell  us 
how  the  Belgians  have  hanged  German  soldiers  from  trees, 
poured  boiling  liquids  over  them  and  burnt  them  alive."  * 

There  is  only  one  way  of  putting  an  end  to  these  scan- 
dals and  that  is  for  the  religious  authorities  to  bring  the 
whole  truth  to  light  and  publicly  and  officially  denounce  the 
guilty  parties. 

Another  cause  of  scandal  for  any  straightforward  man, 
whether  he  be  a  believer  or  not,  lies  in  this  mania  for  bring- 
ing to  the  fore  and  weighing  in  the  balance  the  advantages 

*  Note— Man  hat  in  den  Amtlichten  Berichten  entsetzliche  Dinge  gelesen. 
Wie  die  Belgier  deutsche  Soldaten  an  die  Baumen  aufhângten,  mit  heizem- 
Teer  verbrunten  und  lebendig  anzundeten.  Feldpredigt  auf  den  16  sontag 
nach  Pfingstern,  von  Heinrich  Mohr.  The  sermon  was  published  in  Die 
Stimmen  der  Heimat  No.  34,  a  periodical  issued  by  Herder  in  191 5  from 
Freiburg  in  Br. 


RELEASE  OF  BELGIAN  DOCTORS  89 


or  disadvantages  that  would  accrue  to  the  Catholic  religion 
according  as  the  Triple  Alliance  or  the  Quadruple  Entente 
were  victorious. 

Professor  Schrôrs  of  Bonn  University  *  was  the  first,  so 
far  as  we  are  aware,  to  devote  his  leisure  hours  to  this  vex- 
atious species  of  Mathematics. 

The  result  the  War  will  have  on  Religion  is  God's  own 
secret  and  not  one  of  us  is  in  his  confidence. 

But  there  is  a  question  of  moral  right  and  honor  far 
more  important  than  that  one  :  "Seek  ye  first  the  Kingdom 
of  God  and  his  justice,"  said  our  Saviour,  "and  all  the  rest 
will  be  added  unto  you."  Do  your  duty,  come  what  may. 
We  Bishops  also  have  a  moral  and,  consequently,  a  religious 
duty  to  perform  at  the  present  time — one  that  claims  prece- 
dence over  all  the  rest,  viz.,  to  seek  out  and  proclaim  the 
truth.  Did  not  Jesus  Christ,  who  has  conferred  on  us  the 
signal  favor  of  being  at  once  his  disciples  and  ministers,  say 
that  His  mission  to  society  was  to  witness  to  the  truth?  "For 
this  I  came  into  the  world  that  I  should  give  testimony  to 
the  truth!*    (John  18,  v.  37.) 

On  the  solemn  occasion  of  our  episcopal  consecration,  we 
all  vowed  to  Almighty  God  and  the  Catholic  Church  never 
to  desert  the  Truth,  never  to  allow  ourselves  to  be  led  away 
by  ambition  or  fear  whenever  we  should  be  called  upon  to 
supply  some  proof  of  our  love  for  the  truth,  "Veritatem 
diligat,  neque  earn  unquam  deserat,  aut  laudibus  aut  timore 
supemtus" 

We  have,  therefore,  by  virtue  of  our  very  vocation,  a 
common  rôle  and  ground  on  which  to  base  an  understand- 
ing. Confusion  reigns  in  every  mind;  light  for  some  is 
darkness  for  others  and  so  it  is  with  good  and  evil.  We 
cherish  the  hope  that  the  commission  of  Inquiry  to  be  formed 
with  a  view  to  setting  aside  these  charges,  to  which  we  have 
the  honor  to  convene  your  delegates,  will  contribute  towards 
removing  more  than  one  misconception,  "Non  ponat  lucem 

*  Note — Der  Krieg  und  der  Katholizimus,  von  Dr.  Heinrich  Schrôrs, 
Prof.  d.  Teologie  an  der  Universitat  in  Bonn. 


9o    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


tenebras,  nec  tenebras  lucem,  non  dicat  malum  bonum,  nec 
bonum  malum!1  * 

Our  Holy  Father  the  Pope  ardently  expressed  his  desire 
for  peace  and  appealed  for  its  conclusion  in  a  letter  he 
deigned  to  send  you  during  your  last  meeting  at  Fulda.  He 
urged  you,  as  he  does  us  all,  to  unite  with  him  in  this  desire, 
but  he  would  have  peace  based  on  respect  for  the  rights  and 
dignity  of  nations.  "Dum  votis  omnibus  pacem  expetimus, 
atque  earn  quidem  pacem  qua  et  justifia  sit  opus  et  popu- 
lorum  congruat  dignitsati.,y  t 

Our  most  fitting  answer,  therefore,  to  the  Holy  Father's 
wish  is  to  collaborate  with  you  in  making  the  Truth  shine 
forth  in  all  its  splendor  and  triumph  over  error,  since  upon 
it  rest  justice,  honor  and  lastly,  peace. 

Receive,  Venerable  Brethren,  the  expression  of  our  sin- 
cere esteem  and  fraternal  devotion. 

APPENDIX 

BREACHES  OF  THE  HAGUE  CONVENTION 

Germany  was  one  of  the  signatories  to  the  Hague  Con- 
vention. 

As  early  as  November  12th,  19 14,  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral, Baron  von  der  Goltz,  referred  to  the  Hague  Conven- 
tion in  a  notice  issued  by  him. 

His  successor,  Baron  von  Bissing,  issued  a  proclama- 
tion on  July  1 8th,  191 5,  affirming  that  his  intention  was  "to 
govern  Belgium  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  the 
Hague  Convention  as  to  the  laws  and  customs  of  land  war- 
fare," and  added: 

"His  Majesty  the  Emperor  of  Germany,  after  the  Occu- 
pation of  the  Kingdom  of  Belgium  by  our  victorious  troops, 
entrusted  me  with  the  administration  of  this  country  and 
commissioned  me  to  carry  out  the  obligations  arising  out  of 
the  Hague  Convention" 

So  much  for  the  law.   Now  for  the  facts. 

*  Note — Pontificale  Romanum.  de  consecratione  electi  in  episcopum. 
tNoTE — Acta  Apostolicae  Sedis.   Vol.  7,  die  6  Octobris,  191 5. 


RELEASE  OF  BELGIAN  DOCTORS  91 


I.    Collective  Penalties 

Art.  40  of  the  Convention  provides  that  "No  pecuniary 
or  other  collective  penalty  may  be  inflicted  on  the  popula- 
tions on  account  of  the  actions  of  individuals,  for  which  the 
community  could  not  be  held  to  be  collectively  responsible. " 

Now  the  history  of  the  occupation  is  divided  into  three 
periods:  the  invasion  itself,  the  period  of  Baron  von  der 
Goltz's  administration  and  that  of  Baron  von  Bissing's. 

During  the  first  of  these  three  collective  penalties  of 
every  kind  were  systematically  inflicted  and  there  are  abun- 
dant proofs  for  this  assertion.  The  following  alone  is  suf- 
ficient : — 

In  proportion  as  the  invading  army  made  headway,  the 
Commander-in-Chief  had  a  proclamation  posted  up  printed 
in  three  languages  on  red  paper,  wherein  it  was  laid  down 
that: 

"Any  village  in  which  hostile  acts  are  committed  against 
our  troops  by  the  inhabitants  will  be  burned  down. 

"In  cases  where  roads,  railways  or  bridges  are  de- 
stroyed, the  villages  nearest  to  the  points  where  destruction 
hm  taken  place  will  be  held  responsible. 

"The  above-mentioned  penalties  will  be  carried  out  with 
severity  and  no  favor  will  be  shown.  The  whole  body  will 
be  held  responsible.  Heavy  war  levies  will  be  inflicted,  and 
hostages  seized  in  large  numbers.'' 

During  the  Governorship  of  Marshal  von  der  Goltz  a 
proclamation  affecting  the  whole  of  the  occupied  territory 
was  issued  over  his  signature  on  September  2d,  19 14.  It 
expressly  lays  down  that,  "One  of  the  inevitable  hardships 
of  war  is  that  the  innocent  as  well  as  the  guilty  have  to  suffer 
punishment  for  hostile  acts." 

Consequently  collective  punishment  was  unsparingly  re- 
sorted to. 

Thus  to  take  a  typical  example:  The  city  of  Brussels 
was  mulcted  in  a  fine  of  5,000,000  marks  because  a  police- 
man, without  the  knowledge  of  the  local  authorities,  treated 
an  official  of  the  German  administration  disrespectfully. 


92     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


A  notice  signed  "Baron  von  der  Goltz,"  posted  up  on 
October  7th,  19 14,  applied  collective  penalties  to  the  whole 
family.    It  ran: — 

"The  Belgian  Government  has  issued  calling-up  notices 
to  several  military  groups.  All  those  receiving  such  notices 
are  strictly  forbidden  to  obey  them.  In  cases  of  infringe- 
ment,  the  soldier's  family  will  be  held  equally  responsible." 

With  Baron  von  Bissing  as  Governor  General,  that  is  to 
say,  beginning  with  October  3rd,  19 14,  collective  punish- 
ment was  constantly  inflicted  contrary  to  Art.  50. 

The  following  are  a  few  typical  instances  : — 

On  December  23rd,  19 14,  it  was  stated  in  a  notice  pla- 
carded all  over  Brussels  that  in  the  event  of  soldiers'  graves 
being  tampered  with  or  desecrated,  not  only  the  perpetra- 
tors of  such  desecration  will  be  punished,  but  responsibility 
will  also  fall  on  the  whole  commune. 

A  decree  of  the  Governor  General  under  date  January 
26th  makes  an  entire  family  responsible  for  the  fact  that  a 
Belgian  of  military  age,  that  is,  between  16  and  40,  crossed 
over  into  Holland.  In  fact,  the  communes  are  mulcted  in 
huge  fines  on  the  flimsiest  pretexts.  Thus  Puers  must  pay 
3,000  mks.  because  a  telegraph  wire  was  broken,  although 
it  was  proved  in  the  course  of  a  subsequent  enquiry  that  it 
was  simply  worn  out. 

Mechlin,  a  working-class  town  without  funds,  was  fined 
20,000  mks.  because  the  mayor  did  not  advise  the  military 
authorities  of  a  journey  the  Cardinal  was  obliged  to  make 
on  foot,  owing  to  his  having  been  deprived  of  the  use  of  his 
Motor-car. 

II.    Forced  Labor  for  the  Enemy 

According  to  the  terms  of  Art.  52  of  the  Hague  Conven- 
tion, u Requisitions  in  kind  and  personal  service  can  only 
be  exacted  from  communes  or  the  inhabitants  thereof  on 
three  conditions: — 

"1.  Provided  that  they  do  not  involve  any  obligation  on 
the  part  of  the  population  to  participate  in  warlike  opera- 
tions against  their  country. 


RELEASE  OF  BELGIAN  DOCTORS  93 


"2.  Provided  that  they  be  in  proportion  to  the  resources 
of  the  country  or  people  on  whom  they  are  imposed. 

"3.  Provided  that  they  be  limited  to  the  needs  of  the 
Army  of  Occupation." 

It  is  interesting  to  notice  that  Art.  23  contains  a  con- 
cluding paragraph  proposed  by  the  German  delegates  to  the 
2nd  Hague  Conference  held  in  1907  as  follows: 

uNo  belligerent  is  allowed  to  compel  enemy  nationals  to 
take  part  in  military  operations  against  their  country." 

1.  From  the  moment  of  the  invasion  Belgian  civilian 
citizens  were  forced  to  take  part  in  warlike  operations  and 
this  in  twenty  different  places. 

At  Lebbeke,  Termonde,  Dinant  and  in  many  other 
towns,  peaceable  citizens,  women  and  children  were  com- 
pelled to  march  at  the  head  of  German  regiments  or  to 
form  a  screen  around  them. 

At  Liège  and  Namur  civilians  were  forced  to  dig 
trenches  and  were  also  employed  in  the  work  of  repairing 
fortifications. 

The  frenzied  seizure  of  hostages  proceeded  with  vigor. 

The  proclamation  of  August  4th,  already  referred  to, 
declared  without  a  quibble  "Hostages  will  be  seized  in  large 
numbers." 

An  official  proclamation  placarded  all  over  Liège  in  the 
early  days  of  August  read  as  follows  : — 

'Acts  of  aggression  committed  on  German  troops  by 
others  than  soldiers  in  uniform  not  only  expose  the  guilty 
parties  to  summary  execution  but  will  entail  the  severest  re- 
prisals on  all  the  inhabitants,  especially  on  the  citizens  of 
Liège  seized  as  hostages  and  lodged  in  the  citadel  by  order 
of  the  Commander  of  the  German  Army." 

These  hostages  were  Mgr.  Rutten,  Bishop  of  Liège,  M. 
Kleyer  the  Mayor,  and  the  senators  and  representatives,  the 
permanent  deputy  and  the  Sheriff  of  Liège. 

2.  Under  the  Government  of  Marshal  von  der  Goltz, 
every  kind  of  requisition  of  services  exacted  during  the 
month  of  August  continued  to  be  enforced.  Trenches  were 
dug,  men  were  engaged  on  fortifications,  roads,  railways  and 
in  transport  work. 


94     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


The  Governor  General  promulgated  the  following  de- 
cree on  November  19th: 

"Whosoever  by  constraint,  threats,  persuasion  or  other 
means  shall  attempt  to  hinder  the  execution  of  work  for  the 
German  authorities  by  persons  capable  of  performing  the 
task  required  of  them  or  contractors  entrusted  with  such 
work  by  the  Germans  will  render  themselves  liable  to  im- 
prisonment." 

The  decree  does  not  specify  for  what  term — a  case  of 
unrestrained  despotism.  The  system  of  taking  hostages  was 
continued  in  all  its  rigor. 

A  monstrous  specimen  of  high-handedness  and  cruelty 
is  the  proclamation  issued  on  September  8th,  19 14,  by  Ma- 
jor Commandant  Dieckman  in  the  communes  of  Baine-Heu- 
say,  Grivîgnée  and  Bois-de-Breux  of  which  the  following  is 
an  extract: 

"From  September  7th  onwards  I  am  willing  to  allow  the 
inhabitants  of  the  above  mentioned  communes  to  return  to 
their  homes.  To  obviate  any  abuse  of  this  permission,  the 
mayors  of  Baine-Heusay  and  Grivignée  must  immediately 
draw  up  a  list  of  those  who  will  be  kept  back  and  held  as 
hostages  in  Fort  Fleron. 

"The  lives  of  these  hostages  depend  on  the  inhabitants 
of  the  said  communes  keeping  the  peace  in  all  circumstances. 

"I  shall  specify  the  individuals  who  are  to  be  held  as  hos- 
tages from  noon  on  one  day  until  noon  on  the  next.  If  a 
hostage  detained  in  the  fort  is  not  changed  at  the  proper 
time,  he  shall  remain  there  for  a  further  space  of  24  hours. 
When  this  new  period  of  24  hours  has  expired,  the  hostage 
will  incur  the  penalty  of  death  if  no  change  has  been  made. 

"Priests,  mayors  and  other  municipal  officials  are  to  head 
the  lists  of  hostages!* 

3.  Under  the  Government  of  Baron  von  Bissing,  there 
were  some  flagrant  violations  of  Art.  52  and  revolting  inci- 
dents occurred  at  the  Mechlin  Railway  Works,  at  Luttre 
and  also  in  several  communes  in  West  Flanders.  We  leave 
you  to  judge  for  yourselves. 

The  German  authorities  issued  an  order  on  March  23rd 
for  the  resumption  of  work  at  Luttre  and  on  April  21st  they 


RELEASE  OF  BELGIAN  DOCTORS  95 


called  for  200  workmen.  On  April  27th  they  made  domi- 
ciliary visits  with  a  view  to  pressing  the  workmen  into  serv- 
ice and  conducted  those  they  found  at  home  to  the  works. 
Each  time  a  man  was  discovered  to  be  absent,  they  arrested 
a  member  of  his  family. 

However,  the  men  remained  firm  in  their  refusal  to 
work  "because  they  were  unwilling  to  cooperate  in  acts  of 
war  against  their  country." 

On  April  30th  the  workmen  thus  pressed  into  service 
were  not  released  any  more,  but  were  shut  up  in  railway 
carriages. 

On  May  24th  24  workmen  detained  in  prison  at  Ni- 
velles were  tried  before  a  Council  of  War  at  Mons  "on  a 
charge  of  being  members  of  a  secret  society,  the  end  of 
which  was  to  frustrate  the  execution  of  German  military 
measures. "    They  were  sent  to  prison. 

On  May  14th  45  workmen  were  deported  into  Ger- 
many. 

On  May  18th  a  new  proclamation  announced  that  the 
prisoners'  diet  would  consist  of  dry  bread  and  water,  with 
only  one  hot  meal  every  four  days. 

On  May  22nd  3  trucks  containing  104  workmen  were 
dispatched  to  Charleroy. 

In  spite  of  all  this,  the  national  spirit  of  the  workmen 
rose  in  proportion  as  pressure  was  brought  to  bear  upon 
them. 

The  same  state  of  affairs  prevailed  in  Mechlin  where 
by  resorting  to  different  methods  of  intimidation  the  Ger- 
man authorities  tried  to  force  men  to  work  on  railway  ma- 
terial as  though  it  were  not  perfectly  clear  that  sooner  or 
later  it  would  become  war  material. 

On  May  30th,  1915,  the  Governor  General  announced 
that  he  would  have  no  alternative  but  to  punish  the  town 
of  Mechlin  and  suburbs  by  bringing  all  commercial  traffic 
to  a  standstill  unless  500  artisans  signed  on  for  work  at 
the  Arsenal  by  10  a.  m.  on  Wednesday,  June  2nd.  Not  a 
single  workman  put  in  an  appearance,  with  the  result  that 
vehicular  traffic  within  a  radius  of  several  miles  of  the  town 
was  completely  stopped.   It  was  at  this  period  that  Cardinal 


96     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Mercier  went  on  foot  from  Mechlin  to  Eppeghem-— a  walk 
which  brought  in  its  wake  a  fine  of  20,000  mks.  for  the 
town. 

Several  workmen  were  forcibly  seized  and  detained  in 
the  shops  for  two  or  three  days. 

Traffic  was  suspended  for  ten  days.  In  June  the 
commune  of  Sweveghem  in  West  Flanders  was  punished 
because  350  workmen  engaged  in  a  private  factory  belong- 
ing to  a  certain  M.  Bekaert  refused  to  make  barbed  wire  for 
the  German  Army. 

The  following  order  was  posted  up  in  Menin  in  July  and 
August,  1 9 1 5  : — 

"From  to-day  onwards  no  more  relief  of  any  kind  what- 
ever can  be  afforded  by  the  town  even  to  families,  women 
and  children,  except  to  those  men  who  do  regular  military 
work  and  perform  other  tasks  imposed  upon  them.  All 
other  workmen  and  their  families  will  henceforth  be  unable 
to  receive  any  kind  of  relief." 

Is  this  not  disgraceful  enough? 

Similar  treatment  was  meted  out  to  Harlebeke-lez-Cour- 
trai,  Bissighem,  Lokeren  and  Mons.  At  Harlebeke  29 
inhabitants  were  deported  to  Germany,  while  at  Mons  man- 
agers, foremen  and  81  hands  employed  in  M.  Lenoir's  fac- 
tory were  sent  to  prison  for  refusing  to  work  for  the  Ger- 
man Army.  M.  Lenoir  himself  was  sentenced  to  five  years, 
5  managers  to  one  year,  6  foremen  to  6  months,  and  81 
hands  to  eight  weeks'  imprisonment. 

The  Governor  General  also  availed  himself  of  a  round- 
about means  of  constraint.  He  laid  hands  on  the  Belgian 
Red  Cross  Society,  confiscated  its  supplies  and  arbitrarily  di- 
verted it  from  its  original  purpose.  He  tried  to  assume  the 
mastery  over  the  Bienfaisance  publique  and  exercise  control 
over  the  National  Committee  for  Relief  and  Food  Supply. 

If  we  were  to  give  in  full  the  Governor  General's  de- 
cree dated  August  15th,  1915,  "as  to  the  measures  to  be 
adopted  to  guarantee  the  execution  of  work  in  the  public 
interest,"  as  well  as  that  of  August  1 5th,  "as  to  unemployed, 
who,  out  of  laziness,  keep  away  from  work,"  anyone  would 
at  once  perceive  the  indirect  methods  the  occupying  power 


RELEASE  OF  BELGIAN  DOCTORS  97 


used  to  get  both  masters  and  men  under  their  thumb  simul- 
taneously. 

But  it  was  in  the  War  Areas  (Etapes)  that  this  contempt 
for  the  Hague  Convention  reached  its  zenith. 

On  October  12th,  19 15,  an  order  was  published  in  the 
"Official  Gazette"  of  Decrees  applicable  to  War  Areas, 
the  most  illuminating  passages  of  which  are  these  : — 

Art.  1.  Whosoever  when  ordered  to  do  so  by  the  mili- 
tary commanders  refuses  without  good  reason  to  undertake 
or  continue  work  adapted  to  his  calling  and  in  the  execution 
of  which  the  military  authorities  are  interested  will  be  liable 
to  correctional  imprisonment  for  one  year  or  more.  He  is 
also  liable  to  be  deported  into  Germany. 

In  no  case  may  an  appeal  to  contrary  Belgian  laws  or 
even  International  Conventions  be  made  in  justification  of  a 
refusal  to  work. 

The  right  of  deciding  as  to  the  lawfulness  of  work  be- 
longs exclusively  to  the  military  commander. 

Art.  2.  Whosoever,  by  coercion,  threats,  persuasion  or 
other  means,  induces  anyone  to  refuse  work  as  provided  for 
in  Art.  1  renders  himself  liable  to  imprisonment  for  a  term 
of  five  years  or  more. 

Art.  3.  Whosoever  knowingly  encourages  this  punish- 
able refusal  to  work  by  granting  relief  or  by  any  other 
means  is  liable  to  a  fine  which  may  amount  to  10,000  marks. 
He  may  likewise  be  condemned  to  one  year's  imprisonment. 

In  cases  where  communes  or  societies  are  found  guilty 
of  such  crimes,  the  penalty  will  be  inflicted  on  the  heads 
thereof. 

Art.  4.  Apart  from  the  penalties  laid  down  in  Arts.  1 
and  3  the  German  authorities  may,  where  needful,  exact  a 
contribution  or  adopt  other  coercive  police  measures  in 
Communes  where  the  carrying  out  of  work  has  been  re- 
fused without  adequate  reasons. 

This  present  decree  will  come  into  force  at  once. 

(Signed)  von  Huger, 

Lieutenant  General. 
Inspector  of  Military  Areas. 

Ghent,  October  12th,  1915. 


ç8     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


The  injustice  and  highhandedness  of  this  decree  are  be- 
yond imagination.  Forced  labor,  collective  punishment,  in- 
definite penalties — everything  is  there.  It  is  slavery,  neither 
more  nor  less. 

III.    New  Taxes 

We  will  limit  ourselves  to  detailing  in  a  few  words  two 
instances  of  taxation  contrary  to  Arts.  48,  49,  51,  and  52 
of  the  Hague  Convention. 

The  first  was  ordered  by  Baron  von  Bissing  in  a  decree 
dated  January  16th,  19 15,  and  consisted  in  penalizing  Bel- 
gians who  had  taken  refuge  in  foreign  countries,  by  impos- 
ing a  huge  additional  tax  at  the  rate  of  ten  times  the  amount 
of  their  personal  contribution.  This  tax  does  not  find  a 
place  in  any  existing  category,  and  affected  solely  a  class  of 
citizens  who  made  lawful  use  of  their  right  to  quit  the  coun- 
try before  it  was  occupied.  It  is  therefore  contrary  to  Arts. 
48  and  51  of  the  Convention. 

The  second  infringement  of  the  Convention  is  the  well- 
known  contribution  of  480,000,000  marks  levied  on  the  nine 
Provinces  on  December  18th,  19 14. 

An  essential  condition  for  the  lawfulness  of  this  kind  of 
contribution,  according  to  the  Hague  Convention,  is  that  it 
be  apportioned  according  to  the  resources  of  the  country 
(Art.  52).  But  Belgium  was  devastated  in  19 14 — contri- 
butions for  war  purposes  were  levied  on  towns,  innumer- 
able requisitions  in  kind  drained  the  resources  of  the  coun- 
try, workshops  and  factories  were  for  the  most  part  closed 
down,  whilst  in  the  case  of  the  few  where  work  still  con- 
tinued, the  Germans  did  not  fail  to  commandeer  raw  ma- 
terials contrary  to  all  law.  And  on  this  poverty-stricken 
Belgium,  dependent  as  it  was  on  outside  charity,  they  levied 
a  contribution  of  nearly  500,000,000  marks. 

A  decree  of  December  10th,  19 14,  reads: — 

"A  monthly  war  contribution  of  40,000,000  francs  pay- 
able during  the  space  of  one  year  is  hereby  levied  on  the 
Belgian  people. " 

We  have  at  length  reached  the  end  of  that  year  and 


RELEASE  OF  BELGIAN  DOCTORS  99 


now,  at  the  time  of  writing,  the  occupying  power  intends  to 
replace  "the  space  of  one  year"  by  "for  the  duration  of  the 
War." 

Poor  little  Belgium!  What  has  she  done  to  rich  and 
powerful  Germany,  her  neighbor,  to  be  thus  trodden  under 
foot,  calumniated  and  oppressed? 

If  we  had  to  compile  a  complete  list  of  decrees  and  acts, 
in  which  the  occupying  power  has  to  our  knowledge  placed 
itself  in  open  contradiction  with  the  Hague  Convention,  we 
should  have  to  add  "the  abuse  of  requisitions  in  kind" 
against  Art.  52,  the  seizure  of  funds  belonging  to  private  so- 
cieties, the  commandeering  of  some  hundreds  of  miles  of 
steel  rails  and  of  weapons  stored  in  communal  houses  by 
order  of  the  Belgian  Government  contrary  to  Art.  53,  the 
disregard  for  the  laws  of  the  country ,  especially  of  the  penal 
code,  contrary  to  Art.  43.  But  we  cannot  say  everything 
here  nor  bring  everything  forward.  Should,  however,  those 
to  whom  our  correspondence  is  directed  wish  for  proofs  of 
the  allegations  we  have  merely  indicated  in  this  final  para- 
graph, we  shall  be  only  too  glad  to  supply  them.  Neither  in 
our  letter  nor  in  these  four  appendices  have  we  made  one 
charge  which  we  cannot  substantiate  from  documents  in  our 
possession. 


CHAPTER  VIII 


THE  CARDINAL'S  PROTEST  AGAINST  THE  BEHAVIOR  OF  A 
GERMAN  MILITARY  CHAPLAIN 

Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

February  gth,  19 15. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Dear  Governor  General — An  incident  has  taken  place 
at  Forrières,  in  the  province  of  Luxemburg,  to  which  I 
would  call  your  kind  attention.  In  conjunction  with  my 
venerable  colleague,  Mgr.  Heylen,  Bishop  of  Namur,  I 
should  like,  in  addressing  your  Excellency,  to  forestall  any 
painful  controversy. 

At  Forrières  on  Thursday,  January  7th,  the  Cure  Tag- 
non  had  a  conversation  in  the  sacristy  with  the  chaplain  of 
Arlon  which  can  be  more  or  less  summed  up  in  these 
terms  : 

"Many  innocent  priests  in  the  diocese  of  Namur  have 
been  shot." 

"Pardon  me,"  answered  the  chaplain,  "our  staff  head- 
quarters is  in  possession  of  proofs  that  many  civilians  were 
francs-tireurs  and  that  the  clergy  incited  them  to  fire  on 
the  German  troops." 

"You  must  not  believe  all  these  tales  ;  if  one  were  to  pin 
one'9  faith  to  all  one  hears,  I  should  also  believe  that  the 
Germans  have  attempted  to  violate  our  nuns." 

That  very  same  day  the  chaplain,  in  company  with  a 
German  doctor,  paid  a  visit  to  the  presbytery  in  order  to 
induce  the  cure  to  repeat  the  statement  he  had  made  that 
morning  in  the  sacristy. 

The  cure  acknowledged  that,  materially,  he  had  made 
the  statement,  but  in  a  vague  manner:  "people  say,"  "there 

100 


PROTEST  AGAINST  CHAPLAIN  101 


is  a  rumor  that"  and  conditionally,  "Germans  may  have 
violated  our  nuns." 

Nevertheless,  the  chaplain  made  a  categorical  and  de- 
tailed accusation  against  the  cure,  the  net  result  of  which 
was  the  imprisonment  of  the  cure  and  his  condemnation  to 
either  a  hundred  days  in  gaol  or  a  thousand  francs  fine. 

M.  Misson,  a  public  notary,  accused  of  having  in  the 
course  of  familiar  conversation  with  his  friend,  M.  Tagnon, 
made  the  same  statement,  was  condemned  to  undergo  the 
same  penalty. 

I  am  convinced,  dear  Governor  General,  that  the  Cure 
Tagnon  has  not  made  the  damning  accusation  against  the 
German  army  which  the  chaplain  has  put  into  his  mouth. 
But  it  is  not  my  intention  to  lay  stress  on  the  accusation 
itself. 

It  is  the  behavior  of  the  chaplain  that  I  find  odious. 
A  conversation  held  in  the  afternoon  by  two  brother  priests 
cannot  be  the  subject  for  a  summons  to  court.  The  afore- 
thought behavior  of  the  accuser  who  tries  to  impose  on  the 
good  faith  of  his  brother  priest,  airily  accepts  a  cigar  which 
he  smokes  in  his  company,  enjoys  the  hospitality  of  his  table, 
in  order  to  extort  from  him  a  confidence  with  which  to  trump 
up  a  case  against  him — this  premeditation  aggravates  the 
guilt  of  the  accuser  and  the  odious  character  of  his  accusa- 
tion. 

The  military  tribunal  of  Arlon  must  have  been  badly 
informed  of  the  case  to  have  accepted  such  an  accusation 
and  not  to  have  proceeded  against  the  accuser,  rather  than 
the  acused. 

We,  Mgr.  the  Bishop  of  Namur  and  myself,  deem  that 
our  respect  for  the  dignity  of  the  priesthood  and  our  solici- 
tude for  the  maintenance  of  good  fellowship,  which  ought 
to  reign  among  priests  to  whatsoever  nationality  they  be- 
long, will  not  allow  us  to  let  pass  without  censure  the  un- 
gentlemanly  behavior  of  the  Rector  of  the  Dominican  Pri- 
ory at  Dusseldorf.  We  are  minded  therefore  to  refer  the 
case  to  the  Reverend  Father  General  of  the  Dominican  Or- 
der and  to  the  Holy  See  at  Rome. 

Nevertheless,  if  the  chaplain  will  consent  to  withdraw 


io2   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


his  accusation  and  if  your  Excellency  will  condescend  to  re- 
mit the  penalty  inflicted  on  the  Cure  Tagnon  and  on  his 
parishioner,  M.  Misson,  we  shall  be  pleased  to  consider  the 
incident  as  closed. 

Kindly  receive,  Governor  General,  the  assurance  of  my 
sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

I  join  with  His  Eminence  in  begging  the  Governor  to 
take  in  hand  the  cause  of  my  diocesans. 

(Signed)  Th.  Louis  Heylen, 

Bishop  of  Namur. 

Following  this  intervention,  the  punishment  inflicted  on 
the  cure  Tagnon  and  on  M.  Misson  was  reduced  by  one- 
half. 


CHAPTER  IX 


THE  CARDINAL  INTERCEDES  ON  BEHALF  OF  F.  VAN  BAM- 
BEKE,  S.  J.,  AND  OF  THE  ABBE  CUYLITS.  VON 
BISSING  COMPLAINS  OF  THE  PATRIOTIC  ATTI- 
TUDE TAKEN  UP  BY  THE  CLERGY 

F.  Van  Bambeke,  S.  J.,  and  the  Abbe  Cuylits  had  been 
condemned  by  the  German  military  tribunals  for  having 
helped  Belgian  youths  to  cross  the  frontier.  As  a  result  of 
the  Cardinal's  intervention,  the  Governor  General  con- 
sented to  set  the  Abbe  Cuylits  at  liberty  and  gave  permis- 
sion to  F.  Van  Bambeke  to  undergo  his  punishment  in  a  Bel- 
gian prison. 

In  communicating  to  the  Cardinal  this  act  of  clemency, 
Von  Bissing  complains  for  the  first  time  of  the  patriotic 
attitude  assumed  by  the  clergy.  This  theme  of  discussion, 
which  is  here  only  hinted  at,  will  later  on  form  the  object 
of  extensive  correspondence  between  his  Eminence  and  the 
German  authorities. 

Archbishop's  House,  Malines, 

March  27th,  19 15. 
To  His  Excellency,  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — The  Reverend  Father  Van  Bambeke,  S.  J.,  pre- 
fect of  the  Central  Art  and  Mechanical  School,  rue  d'Alle- 
magne, Brussels,  has  been  condemned  to  two  years  and  a 
half  penal  servitude  for  having  provided  facilities  to  two  or 
three  young  men  to  pass  the  frontier,  and  the  Abbe  Cuylits, 
cure  of  N.  D.,  at  Cureghem,  has  to  undergo  one  year  of 
the  same  penalty  for  a  similar  offense. 

The  two  ecclesiastics  are  in  poor  health,  which  would 
be  shattered  for  good  and  all  by  residence  in  a  foreign  land. 

For  this  reason  I  appeal  with  confidence  to  your  Excel- 

103 


104  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


lency's  humane  sentiments  and  ask  you  to  arrange  that  both 
the  religious  and  the  secular  priest  may  undergo  their  pun- 
ishment in  our  own  country. 

I  would  be  extremely  obliged  to  you  were  you  to  comply 
with  my  request,  and  I  beg  you  to  accept,  sir,  the  expression 
of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines, 

Governor  General's  Office,  Brussels, 
III  b.  T.L.No.  1422.  April  4th,  1915. 

DECREE 

Grant  of  Pardon  to  the  Abbe  Cuylits  and  F.  Bambeke,  S.  /. 
To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Malines. 

To  my  deep  regret  I  have  often  been  forced  latterly 
to  take  a  decision  about  appeals  for  reprieve  in  the  case 
of  ecclesiastics  who  have  been  punished  for  having  behaved 
toward  the  German  authorities  in  a  manner  unworthy  of 
their  state. 

If  I  again  adopt  great  clemency  in  the  case  of  the  Cure 
Cuylits,  of  Cureghem,  and  of  F.  Van  Bambeke,  S.  J.,  it  can 
only  be  an  exception;  I  have  only  decided  to  do  so  in  con- 
sideration of  the  pressing  recommendations  I  have  received 
on  behalf  of  the  Cure  Cuylits,  who  is  indispensable  to  his 
parish,  and  in  view  of  F.  Van  Bambeke's  poor  state  of 
health. 

I  would  observe  that  in  future,  if  priests  are  again  found 
guilty  of  offenses  against  the  German  authorities,  I  shall  not 
avail  myself  of  my  prerogative. 

The  Governor  General, 
(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Lieut.  General. 

Archbishop's  House,  Malines, 

April  16th,  19 15. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — I  have  had  to  be  away  from  Malines  these  last 
few  days  and  have  been  unable  to  reply  as  soon  as  I  should 


PATRIOTIC  ATTITUDE  OF  CLERGY  105 


have  liked  to  letter  No.  1422,  which  your  Excellency  did 
me  the  honor  of  addressing  to  me. 

In  allowing  F.  Van  Bambeke  to  undergo  his  penalty  in 
a  Belgian  prison  your  Excellency  has  done  a  very  kind  act 
for  which  the  prisoner's  friends  will  be  grateful  ;  and  in  au- 
thorizing the  Cure  Cuylits  to  re-enter  his  parish  at  Cureg- 
hem,  you  have  done  a  good  service  to  the  religious  and 
moral  interests  of  our  diocese.  We  thank  you  in  all  sin- 
cerity and  beg  you  to  consider  this  letter  as  an  expression 
of  our  gratitude. 

Your  Excellency  is  afraid  that  you  will  not  in  future  be 
able  to  see  your  way  to  show  leniency  to  the  clergy,  and  you 
warn  me  of  the  necessity  in  which  you  might  find  yourself 
to  meet  me  with  a  refusal  if  I  should  again  have  recourse 
to  your  right  to  grant  a  reprieve.  I  hope  there  will  no 
longer  be  any  occasion  for  it. 

Your  Excellency  can  hardly  forbid  me  from  thinking 
that,  should  recourse  to  your  prerogative  be  eventually  jus- 
tified, you  should  again  see  your  way  to  taking  such  steps 
as  equity  demands. 

Accept,  sir,  the  expression  of  my  feelings  of  gratitude 
and  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 


CHAPTER  X 


SCHEME  FOR  AN  INQUIRY  ON  THE  SUBJECT  OF  ASSAULTS 
COMMITTED  BY  GERMAN  SOLDIERS  UPON  NUNS 

We  have  seen  how  the  Kreischef  of  Malines  had  com- 
municated to  the  Cardinal  a  scheme  for  an  inquiry  about 
priests  put  to  death  by  German  troops  during  the  first  weeks 
of  invasion.  The  Cardinal,  having  in  his  letter  of  January 
24th  replied  that  he  would  lend  his  aid  only  to  an  interna- 
tional committee  of  inquiry,  which  alone  could  offer  guaran- 
tees of  impartiality,  remained  unanswered.  The  scheme 
for  an  inquiry  was  shelved. 

Von  Bissing  raised  the  point  once  again.  Only,  without 
trying  to  throw  light  on  all  the  horrors  which  had  marked 
the  entry  of  the  Germans  into  Belgium,  he  would  have  liked 
to  limit  his  inquiry  to  a  single  point,  viz.,  the  outrages  com- 
mitted against  nuns  by  German  soldiers.  The  Cardinal, 
while  he  hinted  that  accusations  of  this  character  were  not 
so  void  of  foundation  as  the  Governor  General  seemed  to 
imagine,  declared  that  he  could  take  no  part  in  an  inquiry 
about  facts  of  so  delicate  a  nature.  Von  Bissing  made  a 
pretext  of  this  refusal  to  declare  that  his  Eminence  thus 
recognized  the  falsity  of  the  accusations  brought  against  the 
German  troops  ;  once  again  he  distorted  his  correspondent's 
views  : 

Governor  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 
I.  No.  1243.  March  30th,  1915. 

To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  foreign  press,  in  addition  to  a  whole  series  of  crim- 
inal charges  which,  for  the  most  part,  have  been  recognized 
as  false,  has  put  forward  lately  at  various  times  the  follow- 
ing grave  accusation.  German  soldiers  passing  through 
Belgium  have  gone  so  far  as  to  outrage  Belgian  nuns. 

106 


ASSAULTS  BY  GERMAN  SOLDIERS  107 


It  is  enough  to  remark  that  such  crimes,  if  they  can  be 
proved,  would  certainly  incur  my  severe  condemnation,  as 
well  as  that  of  the  German  Government;  but,  on  the  other 
hand,  justice  requires  that  every  care  should  be  taken  to  set 
aside  accusations  recognized  as  false. 

I  venture  to  think  that  the  sentiments  of  justice  and  the 
interests  of  the  Church  will  derive  equal  advantage  from 
a  full  establishment  of  the  truth.  For  this  reason,  I  believe 
I  can  rely  on  your  Eminence's  willing  support  to  second  my 
efforts  in  thoroughly  sifting  the  facts. 

If  your  Eminence  would  be  so  kind  as  to  forward  me 
the  documents  which  you  may  possibly  have  dealing  with 
the  cases  of  violation  of  nuns  in  your  diocese,  I  shall  then 
be  in  a  position  to  take  whatever  further  steps  the  situation 
may  demand. 

I  present  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem  and  remain  your  devoted  servant. 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Governor  General. 

Archbishop's  House,  Matines, 

April  1 6th,  19 1 5. 
To  His  Excellency,  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — I  have  duly  received  the  letter  No.  1243  with 
which  your  Excellency  has  honored  me  and  I  am  sorry  I 
was  prevented  from  answering  it  earlier. 

Rumors  are  indeed  being  bruited  by  certain  newspapers, 
and  denied  by  others,  about  outrages  alleged  to  have  been 
committed  by  German  soldiers  upon  Belgian  nuns,  and  in 
agreement  with  your  Excellency  I  protest  against  those  who 
thus  in  a  light-hearted  way  and  without  proof  spread 
broadcast  among  the  people  or  entertain  such  odious  accu- 
sations. 

But  when  your  Excellency  asks  me  to  help  you  in  throw- 
ing light  on  the  grounds,  whether  true  or  false,  of  these 
imputations,  I  find  it  necessary  to  ask  you  a  preliminary 
question  : 


io8   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Has  civil  authority  the  right  to  institute  an  inquiry  about 
so  delicate  a  matter? 

Whom  would  one  question? 

The  confessor?  The  doctor?  They  are  bound  by  pro- 
fessional secrecy. 

Should  it  be  the  superiors  ?  Do  they  always  know  the 
whole  truth?  And  if  they  do  know  it,  through  having 
learned  it  under  the  seal  of  secrecy,  have  they  the  right  to 
speak  about  it? 

Would  any  one  venture  to  interrogate  the  offended  par- 
ties? Would  not  this  be  cruel?  Would  any  one  attempt 
to  induce  the  witnesses  to  speak  at  the  risk  of  making  known 
the  hapless  victims  of  a  violence  which  would,  in  the  opinion 
of  the  public,  bring  upon  them  the  stain  of  dishonor? 

So  far  as  I  am  concerned,  I  would  not  dare  to  submit 
anybody  to  an  interrogatory  on  so  delicate  a  subject,  and 
any  confidences  which  have  already  been  extended  to  me 
spontaneously,  or  in  the  future  will  be  made  to  me  on  this 
subject,  my  conscience  forbids  me  to  reveal  to  others. 

Our  duty,  your  Excellency,  is  to  prevent  by  every  means 
in  our  power  the  public  from  indulging  in  such  wanton  and 
immoral  allegations;  and  I  shall  approve  with  all  my  heart 
any  effort  at  repression  which  justice  chooses  to  adopt  with 
those  who  either  of  set  purpose  or  through  an  unpardon- 
able levity  invent  these  tales  or  spread  them  broadcast.  But 
I  think  we  cannot  proceed  any  further  without  encroaching 
upon  the  rights  of  conscience  and  without  also  exposing 
them  to  violation. 

Accept,  dear  Governor  General,  a  renewed  assurance  of 
my  deep  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Governor  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 
P.  A.  J.  No.  1877.  April  20th,  19 15. 

To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

I  have  the  honor  of  expressing  to  your  Eminence  my 
hearty  thanks  for  your  letter  of  the  16th  instant. 

I  perfectly  understand  the  feelings  which  hindered  your 


ASSAULTS  BY  GERMAN  SOLDIERS  109 


Eminence  from  undertaking  any  painful  inquiry  in  order 
to  answer  the  questions  which  I  had  addressed  to  you.  I 
had  indeed  no  intention  of  exacting  such  an  inquiry.  I  had 
reason  rather  to  believe  that  if,  after  all,  these  reports  had 
any  solid  foundation,  the  ecclesiastical  authorities  would, 
in  one  way  or  another,  have  had  cognizance  of  them.  It  is 
enough  now  to  state  that  neither  your  Eminence  nor  the 
other  bishops  can  furnish  any  proof  based  on  facts  of  these 
reports,  and  I  feel  bound  again  to  declare  indignantly  that 
they  are  purposely  propagated  and  with  malicious  intent. 

I  willingly  agree  that  an  inquiry,  having  for  its  object; 
the  refutation  of  these  lying  accusations,  would  be  of  a  na- 
ture to  wound  the  modesty  of  nuns.  Nevertheless,  I  can- 
not refrain  from  pointing  out  to  your  Eminence  that  in 
presence  of  such  allegations  I  myself  and  all  who  have  at 
heart  the  honor  and  good  name  of  the  German  soldiers 
experience  like  sentiments.  It  is  in  the  name  of  these  same 
feelings  which  your  Eminence  finds  justifiable,  while  inter- 
vening on  behalf  of  the  nuns  confined  to  your  care,  that  I 
claim  the  right  to  check  with  every  means  at  my  command 
the  slanders  that  are  leveled  at  our  troops. 

It  is  with  all  the  more  gratitude,  then,  that  I  acknowl- 
edge that  your  Eminence,  in  the  most  peremptory  way,  dis- 
approves of  the  propagation  of  such  lies  in  the  press,  and 
that  I  venture  to  count  on  your  benevolent  co-operation  in 
defeating  these  malicious  machinations. 

Allow  me  to  offer  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of 
my  sincere  esteem,  and  I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  devoted 
servant, 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Major  General. 


a 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  MUSTER-ROLL  OF  YOUNG  MEN  CLASHING  WITH  RE- 
LIGIOUS SERVICES  ON  SUNDAYS 

In  certain  communes  the  muster-roll  of  young  men  of 
military  age  took  place  at  the  same  time  as  divine  service 
on  Sundays.  The  Cardinal  had  complained  of  this  to  the 
German  authorities.  Von  Bissing  informed  him  that  he 
had  just  published  an  order  commanding  his  subordinates 
to  take  care  that  the  young  men  liable  to  roll-call  should 
be  able  to  fulfill  their  religious  obligations.  The  Cardinal 
thanked  him  for  this  measure. 

Governor  General* s  Office,  Brussels, 

April  ist,  19 1 5. 
To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Malines. 

I  have  the  honor  of  informing  your  Eminence  that  in 
consequence  of  the  complaints  which  have  been  brought  to 
my  notice  regarding  the  clashing  of  the  young  men's  muster- 
roll  with  the  church  services,  I  have  published  an  order 
of  which  I  inclose  a  copy. 

The  Governor  General. 
(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Major  General. 

Governor  General's  Office,  Brussels, 
Sect.  Ic.  No.  2564.  April  1st,  19 15. 

Whenever  the  day  appointed  for  the  muster-roll  falls 
on  a  Sunday  or  feast  day  the  authorities  of  the  several  dis- 
tricts are  requested  to  take  care  that  those  who  have  to 
present  themselves  shall  be  able  to  fulfill  their  religious 
duties.  To  effect  this,  it  will  be  sufficient  in  most  cases  to 
advance  or  delay  the  opening  of  the  muster  parade  by  one 
or  two  hours. 

The  Governor  General. 
(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Major  General. 

no 


RELIGIOUS  SERVICES  in 

Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

April  6th,  19 15. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — Your  Excellency  has  been  so  kind  as  to  let  me  know 
that,  in  deference  to  an  expressed  wish  of  mine,  you  have 
been  willing  to  fix  the  rollcall  of  young  men  of  military  age 
at  hours  which  do  not  coincide  with  those  for  religious  wor- 
ship. 

I  deem  it  my  duty  to  express  to  you  my  thankfulness  for 
this  benevolent  action  and  would  ask  you  to  accept  the  assur- 
ance of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 


CHAPTER  XII 


von  bissing  complains  of  a  discourse  of  mgr.  de 

wachter's 

Governor  General's  Office,  Brussels, 

April  14th,  1915. 
To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

According  to  the  newspaper  "The  Courier,"  of  Dundee, 
of  February  15th,  Mgr.  de  Wachter,  of  Malines,  delivered 
a  discourse  on  February  14th  at  Willesden,  in  which  he  is 
stated  to  have  said  that  four  ecclesiastics  who  had  the  pre- 
ceding week  returned  from  Germany,  declared  that  they 
had  there  been  compelled  to  perform  the  vilest  tasks  and 
had  suffered  every  kind  of  outrage.  One  day  they  had  been 
placed  against  the  wall  at  the  same  time  as  the  English 
and  French  prisoners  and  informed  that  they  were  about 
to  be  shot  and  rifles  had  then  been  levelled  at  them.  After 
the  lapse  of  an  hour  they  were  told  that  their  execution  had 
been  deferred.  These  scenes  had  been  repeated  for  several 
days  in  succession.  Among  those  who  had  been  subjected 
to  these  frightful  torments,  many  had  completely  lost  their 
reason. 

I  ask  your  Eminence  to  inform  me  where  Mgr.  De 
Wachter  now  resides  in  order  that  he  may  be  heard  in  re- 
gard to  these  monstrous  accusations. 

The  Governor  General. 
(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Major  General. 

112 


DISCOURSE  OF  MGR.  WACHTER  113 


Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

April  iSth,  1915. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — I  hasten  to  give  your  Excellency  the  address  of 
Mgr.  De  Wachter,  auxiliary  bishop  of  the  diocese  of  Ma- 
lines.  For  over  six  months  he  has  been  residing  in  London 
with  Mgr.  Amigo,  Bishop  of  Southwark.    His  address  is: 

Bishop's  House,  St.  George's  Road,  Southwark,  S.  E. 
London. 

I  am  ignorant  alike  of  the  subject  matter  of  this  dis- 
course and  its  delivery,  of  which  your  Excellency  speaks  on 
the  authority  of  the  "Courier,"  of  Dundee. 

Accept,  dear  Governor  General,  the  assurance  of  my 
sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 


CHAPTER  XIII 


THE  CARDINAL'S  INTERVIEW  WITH  MGR.  MITTENDORF 

On  April  14th,  1915,  Mgr.  Mittendorf,  Catholic  Chap- 
lain-General of  the  German  armies  of  the  West,  presented 
himself  at  the  Archiépiscopal  Palace.  Admitted  to  the  Car- 
dinal's presence,  he  declared  that  he  was  charged  with  a 
mission  from  the  Governor  General;  he  took  a  letter  from 
his  pocket  and  proceeded  to  read  it.  When  he  had  finished, 
the  Cardinal,  with  a  natural  gesture,  put  out  his  hand  to 
receive  the  letter,  imagining  that  it  was  meant  for  him.  But 
Mgr.  Mittendorf  was  unwilling  to  give  it  up.  He  even 
went  so  far  as  to  refuse,  no  one  knows  for  what  reason, 
to  allow  the  Cardinal  to  glance  at  the  document  which  he 
had  just  read. 

Here,  in  substance,  is  the  communication  from  Von 
Bissing: 

The  newspapers  have  published  a  letter  from  your  Emi- 
nence to  Cardinal  Amette.  Now  there  is  a  regulation  which 
forbids  any  Belgian  to  correspond  with  any  one  whatever 
without  first  submitting  his  letter  to  the  German  censor- 
ship. Moreover,  your  Eminence  has  recognized  in  your 
Christmas  pastoral  the  necessity  of  obedience  to  the  authori- 
ties in  occupation. 

If  any  other  citizen  whatever  had  committed  the  breach 
of  which  your  Eminence  has  rendered  yourself  guilty,  we 
should  have  to  punish  him.  But  out  of  love  of  peace  and 
through  respect  for  the  Holy  See  and  the  sacred  purple 
which  your  Eminence  wears,  we  are  unwilling  to  inflict  pun- 
ishment on  you.  We  should  prefer,  should  your  Eminence 
force  us  to  take  such  a  step,  to  lay  the  matter  before  the 
Holy  See. 

114 


INTERVIEW  WITH  MGR.  MITTENDORF  115 


The  Cardinal  did  not  hesitate  to  acknowledge  that  he 
had  written  to  the  Archbishop  of  Paris. 

"And  even,"  he  added,  "I  received  yesterday  a  French 
newspaper,  the  'Matin/  which  publishes  extracts  of  my  let- 
ter. This  publication  is  preceded  by  some  lines  of  intro- 
duction in  which  it  is  stated  that  this  letter  is  private,  and 
the  paper  puts  some  extracts  only  before  its  readers." 

"Private  or  not,  it  is  none  the  less  the  revelation  of  a 
fact,  namely,  that  your  Eminence  has  set  at  nought  the  regu- 
lation which  obliges  every  Belgian  in  the  occupied  territory 
to  submit  his  correspondence  to  the  German  censorship." 

"I  am  aware  of  this  regulation,  and  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral will  recollect  that  it  has  already  been  the  subject  of  an 
exchange  of  views  between  us.  Indeed,  in  answer  to  the 
question  which  he  addressed  to  me  in  his  letter  of  January 
3rd,  regarding  the  means  by  which  I  learned  that  the  King 
of  England  had  ordered  a  day  of  intercession,  I  replied  that 
even  a  lawful  government  would  not  consider  itself  entitled 
to  set  on  foot  an  inquiry  regarding  my  private  intercourse, 
and  I  could  not  therefore  believe  that  it  could  enter  into 
the  plans  of  the  Governor  General  to  ask  me  how  I  had 
been  able  to  correspond  either  with  my  own  sovereign  or 
with  the  King  of  England.  This  regulation  does  indeed 
exist,  but  it  must  be  interpreted  according  to  the  rules  of 
common  sense.  The  Governor  General  has  himself  placed 
in  my  hands  a  letter  which  Cardinal  von  Hartmann  had 
written  to  him  in  which  he  asked  permission  for  the  Belgian 
bishops  to  correspond  freely  with  the  Holy  See.  I  thought 
I  might  count  on  the  tacit  consent  of  the  German  authorities 
for  acts  rendered  necessary  by  my  situation.  You  are  a 
priest,  Monsignor;  you  should  inform  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral regarding  the  working  of  a  diocesan  administration." 

"I  do  not  speak  as  a  priest,"  brusquely  interrupted  Mgr. 
Mittendorf,  "I  am  here  only  as  the  envoy  of  his  Excellency 
Von  Bissing." 

"Quite  so,  I  am  aware  of  it;  but  I  know  also  that  you 
are  a  Catholic  priest,  and  as  such,  in  a  position  to  enlighten 
your  government  regarding  Catholic  life.  Now,  can  any 
one  who  has  the  least  idea  of  the  needs  of  Catholic  diocesan 


n6   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


administration  imagine  that  I  could  remain  for  whole 
months  without  intercourse  with  Rome?  I  have  written, 
and  that,  too,  several  times,  to  the  Holy  See,  to  the  Roman 
congregations,  to  my  colleagues  of  the  Sacred  College  in 
Italy,  England,  the  United  States  and  elsewhere:  the  obli- 
gations of  my  pastoral  charge  render  it  a  duty  for  me  to 
declare  that  I  could  not  refrain  in  the  future  also  from  cor- 
responding with  those  abroad.  It  is  useless  to  inquire  by 
what  means  I  correspond.  Have  we  not  every  day  friends 
from  the  United  States,  from  Italy,  from  Holland,  who 
come  to  see  me  and  offer  their  services?  Do  not  the  United 
States  legation,  the  Spanish  legation,  the  Nunciature  cor- 
respond freely  with  those  abroad?  I  do  not,  mark  well, 
indicate  any  of  these  ways  to  insinuate  that  I  have  actually 
availed  myself  of  any  of  them,  but  I  wish  to  prove  that  to 
put  myself  in  communication,  when  needful,  with  other 
countries,  suitable  means  are  never  lacking." 

"What  especially  annoys  the  Governor  General  is  the 
fact  that  your  Eminence's  letter  to  Cardinal  Amette  has 
been  made  public." 

"Oh,  but  many  of  my  letters  sent  abroad  have  likewise 
become  public,  among  others  the  letter  of  thanks  addressed 
to  the  United  States,  to  Canada,  to  England,  to  Ireland, 
in  return  for  the  generous  acts  of  those  nations  toward  the 
Belgian  people,  on  which  occasions  no  complaint  was  made 
to  me.  Be  sure  of  this;  no  Belgian  will  take  advantage  of 
my  correspondence  with  foreign  nations  to  maintain  that 
every  one  has  the  right  to  the  same  freedom  as  I  lay  claim 
to.   The  Belgians  are  endowed  with  good  sense." 

"Could  not  your  Eminence  have  submitted  your  letter 
to  Cardinal  Amette  to  censorship?" 

"This  letter  conveyed  my  thanks  to  the  French  bishops 
for  the  sympathy  which  they  kindly  wished  to  testify  when 
I  published  my  Christmas  pastoral.  I  waited  two  months 
before  showing  my  gratitude,  a  proof  that  I  was  no  agitator. 
I  had  to  answer  under  penalty  of  passing  for  a  man  without 
manners.  Now  suppose,  Monsignor,  that  I  had  submitted 
to  the  Governor  General  a  letter  of  thanks  to  those  who 
publicly  took  my  side  at  the  moment  of  the  controversy 


INTERVIEW  WITH  MGR.  MITTENDORF  117 


which  had  arisen  between  him  and  me,  what  would  his  Ex- 
cellency have  said?  What  could  he  have  said?  That  I 
was  ridiculing  him.  Very  well,  I  did  not  wish  to  ridicule 
his  Excellency.  Behold  the  whole  of  my  wrong-doing,  if 
wrong-doing  there  was.  Our  interview  is  coming  to  an  end, 
Monsignor;  let  me  draw  from  it  one  conclusion.  You  Ger- 
mans, after  many  months  of  occupation,  have  not  yet  got 
to  know  the  Belgians.  Among  you  a  general  commands  and 
automatically  every  one  obeys.  Here  with  us,  good  sense, 
regard  for  higher  interests,  interprets  the  order  and  dic- 
tates our  conduct.  External  regulations  are  meant,  no 
doubt,  for  every  one;  and  it  is  in  this  sense  that  I  have  ac- 
knowledged them  as  the  Governor  General  reminds  me  in 
his  letter.  But  every  one  applies  them  with  a  due  regard 
for  different  contingencies  and  the  obligations  which  they 
entail." 

At  the  end  of  the  conversation  Mgr.  Mittendorf  seemed 
to  wish  the  Cardinal  to  state  what  his  future  attitude  would 
be.  To  this  request  the  Cardinal  made  no  reply,  and  after 
a  few  minutes'  silence  bade  his  visitor  a  kindly  adieu. 


CHAPTER  XIV 


THE  CARDINAL  ASKS  VON  BISSING  TO  AUTHORIZE  THE  SEND- 
ING OF  CHAPLAINS  TO  THE  BELGIAN  ARMY,  AND 
PRESSES  FOR  RELIGIOUS  MINISTRATIONS  TO 
POLITICAL  PRISONERS  TO  BE  ENTRUSTED 
TO  BELGIAN  PRIESTS.    THE  GOVERNOR 
GENERAL  REFUSES 

Archbishop's  House,  Matines, 

April  i$th,  19 15. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — I  take  the  opportunity  which  your  Excellency  offers 
me  to  explain  to  you  a  situation  in  religious  matters  which 
gives  me  great  anxiety. 

I  know  that  your  Excellency  has  taken  steps  with  Head- 
quarters in  Berlin,  unfortunately  without  success,  to  obtain 
for  Belgian  priests,  or  at  least  Hollander  priests,  an  au- 
thorization to  go  and  exercise  their  ministry  among  our 
countrymen  interned  in  Germany.  It  only  remains  for  us 
to  await  patiently  the  result  of  this  request,  which  is  made 
solely  from  a  sense  of  religious  feeling  and  which  ought, 
one  would  think,  appear  to  all  as  quite  disinterested. 

What  at  present  worries  me  is  the  organization  of  the 
chaplaincies  in  the  Belgian  army. 

Since  the  beginning  of  the  war  several  chaplains  have 
died  or  have  been  brought  to  the  hospitals  wounded;  others 
have  been  recalled  to  Belgium  by  us  because  they  were 
wanted  by  their  parishes  or  for  teaching.  The  need  of 
their  being  replaced  in  the  army  is  urgent. 

Will  your  Excellency  allow  me  to  propose  to  you  the 
names  of  four  priests  to  whom  you  might  grant  a  passport? 
I  should  be  pleased  to  add  to  them  the  name  of  a  priest  who 
is  asked  for  by  the  refugee  Belgians  at  Uden  in  Holland. 

118 


CHAPLAINS  REFUSED  FOR  ARMY  119 


Again,  it  is  exclusively  the  interests  of  religion  which 
are  at  stake  here;  and  I  forward  my  request  with  all  candor 
and  confidence  to  the  General  Government. 

Accept,  sir,  the  renewed  expression  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Governor  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 

April  2id,  19 1 5. 
To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

On  the  1 8th  of  this  month  your  Eminence  asked  me  to 
grant  a  passport  to  five  Belgian  ecclesiastics  in  order  to 
allow  them  to  go  and  exercise  their  priestly  ministry  in  the 
Belgian  army  and  among  a  number  of  refugees. 

I  regret  to  be  unable  to  compiy  with  your  Eminence's 
request.  Among  other  reasons  which  dictate  my  decision 
is  the  consideration  that  in  the  occupied  part  of  Belgium  the 
need  of  priests  begins  to  make  itself  felt,  and  I  feel  I  can 
attach  all  the  more  weight  to  this  circumstance,  inasmuch 
as  the  Belgian  army  can  have  recourse  to  French  priests. 

I  offer  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem  and  I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  very  devoted 
servant. 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Major  General. 

Archbishop* s  House,  Malines, 

April  24th,  1915. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — The  motives  which  could  even  for  an  instant  re- 
strain your  Excellency  from  granting  the  request  I  made 
of  you  with  confidence  for  a  passport  for  priests  destined 
to  rejoin  the  Belgian  army  and  our  refugees  at  Uden,  will 
quite  naturally  come  to  the  mind  of  any  one  who  is  not 
acquainted  with  the  special  conditions  attached  to  the  ad- 
ministration of  spiritual  help  to  our  countrymen. 

It  is  quite  true,  your  Excellency,  that  there  is  a  dearth 
of  priests  in  Belgium  also.    In  all  the  colleges  staffs  are 


i20   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


reduced  to  a  third;  a  number  of  parishes  are  without  one 
or  several  curates.  But  it  is  true,  on  the  other  hand,  that 
in  Belgium  the  population  of  the  parishes  and  the  pupils 
in  schools  are  reduced  in  number;  it  is  also  true  that  indus- 
tries, for  instance  economic  and  social  industries,  have 
greatly  slackened  their  activities. 

On  the  other  hand,  in  the  army  the  presence  of  a  priest 
in  each  battalion  is  indispensable  and  this  is  an  immediate 
and  every-day  necessity.  Moreover,  it  is  out  of  the  question 
to  appeal  to  the  co-operation  of  the  French  clergy,  for  the 
regiments  of  the  Belgian  army  being  all  bilingual,  it  is  ab- 
solutely needful  that  the  chaplain  should  know  both  French 
and  Flemish. 

In  case  there  be  any  suspicion  at  the  back  of  your  Ex- 
cellency's mind  to  deter  you  this  reminds  me  of  the  expres- 
sion "unter  anderem"  of  the  dispatch  No.  1883  * — I  give 
you  my  word  of  honor  that  the  priests  in  whose  favor  I  ask 
for  a  passport  will  be  chaplains  and  have  no  other  purpose 
in  view  than  to  act  as  such. 

A  distressing  situation,  your  Excellency,  to  which  I 
would  respectfully  draw  your  attention,  has  been  brought  to 
my  notice.  When  priests  happen  to  be  in  solitary  confine- 
ment in  St.  Giles  they  are  forbidden  to  celebrate  or  even 
to  hear  mass.  On  Easter  Sunday  F.  Van  Bambeke  and  the 
Cure  Cuylits  were  deprived  of  this  consolation,  of  which 
a  Catholic  and  a  priest  alone  can,  in  my  opinion,  estimate 
the  value.  Nevertheless,  the  service  of  our  prison  cells  is 
organized  in  such  a  manner  that  it  is  materially  impossible 
for  the  inmates  to  communicate  with  one  another  in  the 
chapel. 

Is  it  permissible  to  hope  that  Catholic  prisoners  may 
have  facilities  for  attending  mass  at  least  on  Sundays  ;  that 
priests  may  be  able  to  celebrate  mass  daily,  and  that  all  may 
have  the  consolation  of  a  visit  from  the  prison  chaplain? 

I  hope  that  your  Excellency  will  not  consider  out  of 

♦Note — The  German  text  to  which  reference  is  made  runs  as  follows: 
"Wenn  ich  mich  zu  meinem  Bedauern  nicht  bereit  erklaren  kann,  den 
Wunsch  Euerer  Eminenz  zu  erfullen,  so  leitet  mich  dabei  unter  anderem 
der  Gesichtspunkt,  dass  auch  hier  in  Belgien  sich  schon  einiget  Mangel  an 
Geistlichen  fuehlbar  gemacht  hat." 


CHAPLAINS  REFUSED  FOR  ARMY  121 


place  the  earnestness  with  which  I  plead  for  the  religious 
interests  of  my  fellow  countrymen.  I  do  so  to  quiet  my  own 
conscience,  for  in  the  spiritual  realm  I  am  responsible  for 
their  direction. 

Please  accept,  sir,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  Governor  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 
S.  No.  P.  A.  I.  2130.  May  ist,  1915. 

To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Your  Eminence  has  again  asked  permission  for  certain 
priests  to  cross  the  frontier  in  order  to  go  and  serve  as 
chaplains  in  the  Belgian  army.  I  regret  to  be  unable  to  rec- 
ommend this  request  to  the  competent  authorities.  The 
state  of  war  in  which  we  find  ourselves  renders  it  altogether 
impossible. 

Regarding  the  second  request  contained  in  your  Emi- 
nence's letter,  I  am  quite  ready  to  intrust  the  rector  of 
the  German  mission  at  Brussels,  Father  Leyendecker,  with 
the  spiritual  interests  of  the  Belgian  ecclesiastics  interned 
at  St.  Giles.  Father  Leyendecker  is  known  to  your  Emi- 
nence; he  speaks  French  and  Flemish.  I  must  also  say  that 
I  am  of  opinion  that  these  priests  should  have  facilities  to 
say  mass. 

I  offer  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem  and  I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  devoted  servant. 
(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Major  General. 

Archbishop* s  House,  Malines, 

May  14th,  19 1 5. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — The  letter  dated  May  ist  (No.  2130)  with  which 
your  Excellency  has  honored  me  and  which  unavoidable  cir- 
cumstances have  prevented  my  answering  earlier  has 
brought  about  in  my  mind,  I  must  say,  an  unpleasant  disil- 
lusionment. 


122    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


If  I  have  insisted  on  obtaining  a  passport  for  four  chap- 
lains destined  to  fill  the  gaps  which  have  taken  place  in  our 
chaplaincies,  it  is  because  I  could  not  succeed  in  fathoming 
the  reason  for  the  first  refusal  I  met  with.  Relying  on  the 
candor  of  my  two  requests,  I  expected  marks  of  particular 
benevolence. 

All  I  can  do,  therefore,  is  to  record  a  new  check  to  re- 
ligion in  Belgium. 

Several  representatives  of  German  authority  do  not,  I 
fear,  appreciate  at  its  full  value  the  importance  attached  by 
the  Catholic  conscience  to  confession.  Otherwise  they  would 
not  obstinately  refuse  us  the  sanction  solicited  by  us  already 
so  often,  both  by  word  of  mouth  and  in  writing,  to  send  to 
our  prisoners  detained  in  Germany  a  few  priests  speaking 
their  language  and  to  whom  they  could  with  full  freedom 
open  their  consciences. 

Will  you  kindly  reflect  a  moment,  sir,  that  for  eight 
months  thousands  of  Belgians,  solely  because  they  have 
served  their  country  with  honor,  are  confronted  with  the 
moral  impossibility  of  setting  their  consciences  at  rest? 
Catholic  confession  reaches  the  inmost  recesses  of  the  soul, 
and  the  German  authorities  wish  the  avowal  it  exacts,. hu- 
miliating enough  as  it  is,  involuntarily  or  not,  to  be  made 
to  a  man  who  reminds  his  penitent  of  the  power  of  the  op- 
pressor, the  responsible  author  of  his  captivity. 

Is  that  humane?   Is  that  Christian? 

What  then  has  poor  Belgium  done  to  Germany  to  be 
tortured  on  its  own  soil,  to  have  its  property  destroyed, 
and  the  lives  of  its  most  inoffensive  sons  cruelly  sacrificed; 
and  now  finally  to  be  tortured  in  the  consciences  of  those 
whose  patriotism  has  borne  them  into  exile  and  imprison- 
ment? 

And  yet  the  general  headquarters  cannot  allege  any 
"necessity  of  war"  for  refusing  our  prisoners  the  free  exer- 
cise of  their  religion. 

If  it  exacts  that  the  German  chaplains  should  be  replaced 
by  priests  from  a  neutral  country,  Holland  has  promised 
to  supply  them. 

Even  if  it  exacts  that  these  priests  should  have  no  com- 


CHAPLAINS  REFUSED  FOR  ARMY  123 


munication  with  the  outer  world,  Belgian  priests  will  carry 
charity  to  the  point  of  heroism,  and  declare  that  they  are 
ready  to  share  the  internment  of  their  fellow  countrymen 
till  the  day  of  general  liberation  comes. 

Can  one  reasonably  ask  for  more? 

To  my  last  request  in  favor  of  those  detained  in  the 
St.  Giles  prison,  your  Excellency  answers  that  you  agree 
to  it,  provided  the  ministry  be  carried  on  by  Father  Leyen- 
decker,  of  German  nationality. 

I  am  personally  acquainted  with  Father  Leyendecker 
and  hold  him  in  high  esteem.  But  why  inflict  on  Belgian 
chaplains  an  unmerited  privation? 

The  Catholic  mass,  composed  as  it  is  of  ceremonies  and 
of  Latin  words,  gives  no  room  for  any  direct  communica- 
tion between  the  priest  and  the  faithful;  and  hence  provides 
the  celebrant  with  no  opportunity  for  taking  an  unfair  ad- 
vantage of  his  ministry. 

For  the  practice  of  sacramental  confession,  a  German 
chaplain,  whatever  may  be  his  personal  merits,  incurs  the 
objection  which  I  have  noted  above.  I  know  the  priestly 
zeal  of  Father  Leyendecker  and  his  experience  of  men 
too  well  to  suspect  that  he  cannot  understand  the  disquietude 
of  my  countrymen's  souls  and  will  not  help  me  to  plead  with 
you  for  their  liberty  of  conscience. 

Will  your  Excellency  kindly  make  a  new  endeavor  to 
obtain  for  prisoners  of  war  in  Germany  the  liberty  of  prac- 
ticing their  religious  faith  without  superhuman  efforts? 

Your  Excellency  has  had  the  kindness  to  allow  the  im- 
prisoned priests  to  celebrate  mass;  this  is  a  mark  of  signal 
benevolence  on  your  part  for  which  I  am  exceedingly  grate- 
ful and  a  thing  which  all  the  priests  interested  will  highly 
value. 

Lastly,  will  your  Excellency  please  consider  that  the 
Belgians  arrested  in  Belgium  by  the  German  authorities  are 
not  "ordinary  criminals,"  but  for  the  most  part  citizens  be- 
yond reproach — victims  of  what  by  the  prisoner  is  called 
"patriotism"  and  by  the  detaining  power  "the  inevitable 
laws  of  war"?  Will  you  spare  them,  in  the  name  of  hu- 
manity, all  unnecessary  severity,  and  authorize  the  accused, 


124    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


after  they  have  been  examined,  to  receive  a  visit  from  a 
chaplain  who  possesses  their  confidence  and,  with  that,  the 
means  of  consoling  them,  of  upholding  their  moral  strength, 
and  every  time  the  prisoners  express  the  wish,  of  hearing 
their  confessions? 

Accept,  sir,  the  expression  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Governor  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 

May  igth,  19 15. 
To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

I  am  in  receipt  of  your  Eminence's  letter  of  the  14th 
instant. 

Relative  to  the  decisions  which  on  two  different  occa- 
sions I  have  been  led  to  take  regarding  the  desires  mani- 
fested by  your  Eminence  concerning  the  religious  interests 
of  your  diocese,  you  have  risen  up  in  wrath  against  me,  em- 
ploying offensive  expressions  in  my  regard  and  accusations 
which  I  resent  as  unjustified.  It  has  thus  been  impossible 
for  me  to  offer  any  definite  defense.  I  shall  at  last  find  my- 
self compelled  to  refuse  to  have  for  the  future  written  or 
unwritten  relations  with  your  Eminence  or  to  take  into  con- 
sideration requests  possibly  justifiable  unless  your  Eminence 
employs  toward  me  in  the  language  used  the  courtesy  which 
I  have  the  right  to  exact. 

Up  to  the  present  I  have  forced  myself,  in  ample  meas- 
ure, to  make  allowance  in  religious  matters,  as  in  others, 
for  the  situation  created  by  the  particular  circumstances 
in  which  we  find  ourselves.  But  I  must  protest  against  the 
way  in  which  your  Eminence  finds  pretexts  to  enter  into  con- 
flict with  me  in  my  character  of  representative  of  his 
Majesty  the  Emperor,  my  supreme  chief. 

I  offer  to  your  Eminence  the  assurance  of  my  sincere 
esteem,  and  I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  devoted  servant. 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Major  General. 


CHAPLAINS  REFUSED  FOR  ARMY  125 


Archbishop' s  House,  M  alines, 

May  29th,  1915. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — The  letter  No.  2722,  dated  May  19th,  with  which 
your  Excellency  has  honored  me,  has  come  duly  to  hand  and 
I  wish  to  acknowledge  it. 

In  order  to  conform  with  your  Excellency's  desire,  I 
shall  refrain  from  treating  directly  with  you  the  question 
of  the  performance  of  their  religious  duties  by  Belgian 
prisoners  in  Germany  or  by  those  confined  in  the  prison  of 
St.  Giles. 

But  truth  compels  me  to  point  out  that  in  my  preceding 
correspondence  I  have  never  been  impelled  by  my  solicitude 
for  any  other  feeling  than  the  moral  and  religious  interests 
of  my  countrymen.  For  these  interests  I  am  responsible. 
I  am  aware  that  I  have  shown  a  certain  amount  of  vehe- 
mence in  supporting  the  cause  I  had  to  defend.  I  beg  your 
Excellency  to  recognize  in  my  language  only  the  expression 
of  deep  convictions.  In  the  course  of  my  career,  already 
long,  I  have  been  engaged  in  numerous  discussions,  some- 
times with  friends,  at  other  times  with  adversaries;  I  never 
remember  having  been  charged  with  want  of  courtesy  to- 
ward the  people  with  whom  I  have  been  in  controversy. 
The  fact  that  my  thoughts  are  centered  on  truth  as  it  stands 
might  sometimes  suggest  the  idea  that  my  judgment  of 
facts  aims  at  persons  and  their  intentions  ;  but  may  I  say  that 
that  is  a  result  for  which  in  justice  I  alone  cannot  be  held 
responsible? 

Your  Excellency  is  kind  enough  to  end  your  letter  by 
declaring  your  good-will  to  take  a  generous  view  of  our 
religious  welfare.  This  emboldens  me  to  bring  two  facts 
to  your  notice.  It  is  for  you  to  consider  them  and  to  judge 
whether  they  call  for  your  intervention.  I  think  it  my  duty 
to  make  them  known  to  you. 

The  Baron  von  Baudenhausen,  military  commander  at 
Antwerp,  in  a  letter  addressed  to  the  dean  of  Antwerp, 
makes  certain  complaints  against  the  clergy  of  which  one 
is  quoted  in  these  terms  :   "Auch  ein  Fall  der  Verweigerung 


126    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


der  Absolution,  weil  das  Beichtkind  sich  nicht  verpflichtete, 
seine  deutsche  Dienstherrschaft  zu  verlassen,  ist  gemel- 
det."  * 

What  goes  on  in  the  secrecy  of  the  confessional  box  is 
free  from  all  exterior  jurisdiction,  whether  civil,  military,  or 
even  religious. 

On  Monday,  May  24th,  in  Whitsun  Week — at  10  a.  m. 
— in  accordance  with  an  old  standing  tradition,  a  procession 
took  place  at  Malines.  The  procession  had  been  authorized 
by  the  Kreischef  of  Malines,  M.  Jochmus.  At  the  moment 
when  this  procession  of  devout  faithful,  which  was  in  every 
sense  of  a  religious  nature  and  was  presided  over  by  his 
Lordship  Mgr.  Legraive,  Auxiliary  Bishop  of  the  diocese, 
was  making  its  way  round  the  Grand  Place,  a  German  mili- 
tary band  broke  through  the  procession  and  created  a  great 
din  as  they  passed  by  the  side  of  the  bishop  who  was  carry- 
ing the  Blessed  Sacrament. 

Happily,  the  clergy  and  the  crowd  were  able  to  restrain 
their  indignation.  Nevertheless,  their  innermost  feelings 
were  deeply  pained. 

Please  accept,  sir,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 


*  Note — "Another  case  is  reported  of  a  denial  of  absolution  because  the 
penitent  refused  to  leave  his  service  in  the  German  army." 


CHAPTER  XV 


THE  GOVERNOR  GENERAL  AUTHORIZES  THE  CORPUS  CHRISTI 

PROCESSION 

Governor  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 
Sekt.  lib.  No.  5392.  May  iSth,  1915. 

To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

I  have  the  honor  to  inform  your  Eminence  that  I  have 
given  instructions  to  all  the  governors,  military  and  civil, 
who  are  under  my  orders,  to  permit  this  year,  on  request, 
the  customary  processions  of  Corpus  Christi.  But  I  trust 
these  processions  will  preserve  their  strictly  religious  char- 
acter and  that  no  advantage  will  be  taken  of  them  to  make 
them  serve  political  ends.  Only  religious  hymns  and  ban- 
ners will  be  permitted;  national  anthems  (the  Brabançonne, 
etc.) and  national  flags  are  forbidden.  If  it  is  usual  for 
bands  to  take  part  in  the  procession,  they  are  forbidden  to 
play  the  national  anthem  and  must  confine  themselves  to 
playing  an  accompaniment  to  the  religious  chants.  It  is 
forbidden  to  fire  off  guns  or  maroons. 

I  trust  that  your  Eminence's  good  sense  and  influence 
will  succeed  in  hindering  any  abuse  of  the  liberty  which  I 
willingly  grant  in  consideration  of  the  interests  of  religion. 

The  Governor  General. 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Major  General. 


127 


CHAPTER  XVI 


VON  BISSING  REFUSES  TO  ALLOW  BELGIAN  COUNSEL  TO  DE- 
FEND FATHERS  DE  BRUYNE  AND  BOONE,  S.  J.,  AR- 
RAIGNED BEFORE  THE  MILITARY  TRIBUNAL 
OF  ANTWERP 

Fathers  de  Bruyne  and  Boone,  S.  J.,  were  arrested  on 
June  12,  191 5,  on  the  charge  of  having  helped  young  men 
desirous  of  joining  the  Belgian  army  to  cross  the  frontier. 
After  having  been  kept  in  the  most  rigorous  solitary  con- 
finement for  more  than  five  weeks,  they  were  to  appear  on 
July  27th  before  a  court-martial  to  be  held  at  Antwerp. 
The  barristers,  M.  Franck  and  M.  Vaes,  had  offered  to 
defend  the  accused.  The  military  court  rejected  this  prof- 
fered legal  assistance  and  claimed  the  right  to  nominate 
its  own  official  counsel.  The  Cardinal,  having  learned  these 
facts,  intervened  for  the  recognition  of  the  rights  claimed  by 
the  defendants.  The  Governor  General  agreed  to  defer  the 
matter  for  further  inquiry,  but  absolutely  refused  to  grant 
the  defendants  Belgian  counsel.  The  former  appeared  be- 
fore the  tribunal  on  August  12th,  19 15.  Fr.  Boone  was 
condemned  to  twelve  years'  penal  servitude;  Fr.  de  Bruyne 
was  acquitted. 

Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

July  26th,  19 1 5. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — Fathers  de  Bruyne  and  Boone  have  to  appear  be- 
fore the  Government  "Gericht"  at  Antwerp  on  Tuesday, 
July  27th. 

If  I  am  not  mistaken,  the  ninth  paragraph  of  the  "Kai- 
serliche  *  Verordnung  ueber  das  ausserordentliche  Kriegs- 

*  Note— -Imperial  ordinance  defining  the  extraordinary  measures  to  be 
taken  in  time  of  war  against  foreigners. 

128 


NO  COUNSEL  FOR  BELGIAN  FATHERS  129 


gerechtliche  Verfahren  gegen  Auslaender"  recognizes  the 
right  of  the  accused  to  be  defended  before  courts-martial. 

The  court-martial  at  Antwerp  refuses  the  offer  made  by 
the  two  barristers,  M.  Franck  and  M.  Vaes,  to  defend  the 
prisoners,  whom  the  accused  themselves  had  chosen,  and 
claims  the  exclusive  rights  of  naming  an  official  pleader  for 
the  defense. 

The  barristers  likewise  claim  the  right  to  examine  col- 
laterally with  the  official  counsel  the  charges  which  have 
been  made  against  the  accused  and  the  right  of  providing 
their  clients  with  the  means  of  defense.  This  demand  has 
just  been  formally  rejected. 

It  is  clear  then,  sir,  that  the  rights  of  defense  guaranteed 
by  the  law  of  the  Empire  are  not  recognized  here. 

As  the  interests  of  priests  belonging  to  my  diocese  are 
at  stake,  I  deem  it  my  duty  to  report  this  unfortunate  inci- 
dent to  your  Excellency  and  beg  you  to  give  an  urgent  order 
for  the  postponement  of  the  suit  that  it  may  be  possible  for 
the  defendants  to  prepare  their  defense  in  co-operation  with 
counsel  of  their  own  choice. 

Please  accept,  sir,  the  expression  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  Governor  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 
Sect.  Ib.  No.  6953.  August  yd,  19 15. 

To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

In  answer  to  your  Eminence's  esteemed  letter  of  July 
26th,  I  have  the  honor  to  inform  you  that  immediately  after 
receiving  it  I  gave  orders  to  defer  to  a  later  date  the  depo- 
sitions of  the  trial  set  on  foot  against  the  priests  de  Bruyne 
and  Boone.  I  have  submitted  the  whole  of  this  affair  to  a 
minute  inquiry. 

I  regret  nevertheless  to  be  unable  to  give  effect  to  your 
Eminence's  request;  the  necessities  of  war  do  not  allow 
strangers  to  become  advocates  for  the  defense  in  a  trial  for 
treasonable  acts.  I  have  the  honor  to  communicate  here- 
with to  your  Eminence  the  certified  copy  of  the  regulation 
which  I  have  sent  on  this  subject  to  the  competent  authority. 


i3o    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


I  offer  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem  and  I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  devoted  servant. 
(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing. 

Governor  General' s  Office,  Brussels , 
il  A.  T.  L.  No.  4403.  August  id,  19 15. 

To  the  Tribunal  of  the  Fortress  of  Antwerp 
Regulation 

The  refusal  to  allow  the  priests  de  Bruyne  and  Boone 
Belgian  advocates  in  the  trial  of  the  charge  of  high  treason 
brought  against  them  is  justified;  it  is  quite  lawful  to  forbid 
all  intercourse  between  the  advocates  chosen  by  the  accused 
and  the  official  advocate  assigned. 

The  right  of  defense,  which,  according  to  the  ninth  para- 
graph of  the  imperial  decree  of  December  28th,  1899,  be- 
longs to  foreign  enemies,  must  be  limited  by  the  exigencies 
of  war;  these  do  not  permit  strangers  to  be  put  in  possession 
of  the  evidence  in  a  charge  of  high  treason,  and  this  could 
not  be  avoided  if  they  were  permitted  to  act  as  advocates 
for  the  defense  in  trials  of  this  nature. 

In  consequence,  Cardinal  Mercier's  objection  of  July 
28th,  19 1 5,  must  be  considered  as  unfounded  and  must  be 
rejected. 

The  Governor  General. 
(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Major  General. 


CHAPTER  XVII 


INTERVIEW  BETWEEN  CARDINAL  MERCIER  AND  BARON  VON 
DER  LANCKEN  REGARDING  THE  PASTORAL  LETTER, 

"A  CALL  to  prayer" 

On  Sunday,  September  26th,  19 15,  the  clergy  in  all  the 
churches  of  the  diocese  read  another  pastoral  letter  of  his 
Eminence  entitled  UA  Call  to  Prayer."  Therein  the  Car- 
dinal lavished  on  his  flock  once  more  words  of  encourage- 
ment and  counsel.  "Our  trials,"  he  says,  "are  protracted; 
do  not  yield,  I  beg,  to  weariness;  let  us  not  cease  to  pray 
and  do  good;  the  sower  must  wait  for  the  harvest;  in  its 
own  good  time  it  will  come  and  will  not  fail  us." 

After  showing  that  the  conflict  between  good  and  evil 
dates  from  the  beginning  of  the  world  and  that  the  combat 
of  Lucifer  and  the  holy  angels  is  being  renewed  unceasingly 
during  the  ages,  the  Cardinal  recommends  the  people  of  his 
diocese  to  take  advantage  of  the  Feast  of  St.  Michael,  Sep- 
tember 29th,  and  the  first  days  of  the  rosary  month,  to  re- 
double the  ardor  of  their  prayers  for  the  early  deliverance 
of  their  Belgian  fatherland.  He  asks  them  to  recite  for  the 
future  with  attention  the  prayer  which  is  said  after  mass  : 
"And  thou,  Prince  of  the  Heavenly  Host,  we  beg  thee,  cast 
down  into  hell  Satan  and  the  other  wicked  spirits  who  wan- 
der through  the  world  for  the  ruin  of  souls."  The  letter 
concluded  with  an  invitation  to  communicate  once  at  least 
in  the  interval  between  September  29th  and  Friday,  October 
1st,  or  on  Sunday,  October  3rd,  and  while  they  invoked 
the  Sacred  Heart  and  our  Blessed  Lady,  to  place  the  com- 
batants under  the  shield  of  St.  Michael. 

The  Germans  recognized  themselves  under  the  designa- 
tion of  "Satan  and  the  other  wicked  spirits";  thus  the  letter 
let  loose  in  the  press  beyond  the  Rhine  a  veritable  torrent 

131 


132    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


of  invectives  and  menaces  against  the  Cardinal.  Despite 
this  outburst,  the  Governor  General  did  not  act  with  the 
same  precipitation  in  demanding  explanations  from  his  Emi- 
nence as  he  manifested  on  the  occasion  of  the  pastoral  let- 
ter, "Patriotism  and  Endurance."  For  ten  days  he  gave 
no  sign  of  life.  It  was  only  on  Tuesday,  October  7th,  that 
Baron  von  der  Lancken  telephoned  to  Canon  Loncin,  sec- 
retary of  the  archdiocese,  saying  that  he  desired  to  visit  the 
Cardinal  the  following  day  for  the  purpose  of  making  a 
communication  to  him  on  behalf  of  the  Governor  General. 
An  appointment  was  made  for  his  reception  by  the  Cardinal 
at  4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 

The  following  day  Von  der  Lancken  presented  himself 
at  the  Archbishop's  House  three-quarters  of  an  hour  late, 
pleading  a  breakdown  of  his  motor  as  the  cause  of  the  delay. 
He  was  conducted  to  the  Cardinal. 

The  interview  lasted  about  two  hours,  and  the  follow- 
ing is  a  faithful  account  from  notes  made  by  the  Cardinal 
himself  immediately  after  the  Baron's  departure. 

As  soon  as  they  were  seated  the  Baron,  after  informing 
the  Cardinal  that  the  document  he  was  about  to  read  had 
been  drawn  up  by  himself  at  the  instance  of  his  Excellency 
von  Bissing  and  had  afterward  been  approved  by  him,  began 
the  reading  of  four  or  five  foolscap  pages.  The  reading 
being  ended,  the  Cardinal  asked  if  he  might  have  the  docu- 
ment. The  answer  was  in  the  negative:  uNo,  I  have  my 
instructions  not  to  give  up  the  manuscript." 

uIn  that  case,  it  will  not  be  possible  for  me  to  reply  as 
adequately  as  I  could  wish  to  each  of  the  complaints  tabu- 
lated in  the  Governor  General's  dispatch." 

"Oh,  my  mission  is  not  to  discuss,  but  to  communicate 
to  your  Eminence  the  Governor  General's  views." 

"Still,  it  is  needful  that  I  should  thoroughly  understand 
his  views.  In  a  word,  I  presume  the  Governor  General 
wishes  to  know  whether  or  not  I  embrace  his  way  of  re- 
garding things." 

"Probably." 

"I  believe  I  can  recapitulate  as  follows,  Baron,  the  com- 
munication which  you  have  just  read  to  me  : 


INTERVIEW  WITH  VON  DER  LANCKEN  133 


1.  Your  pastoral,  "Call  to  Prayer,"  which  was  read  in 
all  the  churches,  accompanied  at  times  by  commentaries 
which  emphasize  still  more  its  trend,  is  an  incitement  of  a 
political  nature:  it  is  bound  to  produce  among  the  masses  a 
political  ferment,  and,  in  fact,  we  have  noted  in  more  than 
one  place,  foresigns  of  a  seditious  outbreak. 

2.  Your  Eminence's  attitude  is  so  much  the  less  justifi- 
able in  that  you  have  given  the  Governor  General  reason  to 
hope  that  in  the  general  interests  of  the  country  you  would 
co-operate  with  him  in  pacifying  the  people  and  also  in  that 
you  are  well  acquainted  with  the  benevolent  dispositions 
entertained  by  his  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing. 

3.  This  attitude  is  with  difficulty  reconciled  with  your 
Eminence's  frequent  appeals  to  the  Governor  General  for 
the  granting  of  favors  to  your  fellow  countrymen. 

4.  Lastly,  the  fact  that  your  Eminence's  letter,  which 
was  contemporaneous  with  the  German  troops'  temporary 
setback  of  some  kilometers  on  the  line  of  battle,  is  so  strik- 
ing that  it  is  not  susceptible  of  explanation  save  as  the  out- 
come of  a  preconcerted  understanding  of  the  Primate  of 
Belgium  with  the  allied  armies;  and  this  serves  to  prove  up 
to  the  hilt  the  political  character  of  the  pastoral  letter. 

"To  these  four  complaints,  which  I  believe  epitomize 
your  communication,  I  desire  to  make  at  once  a  comprehen- 
sive reply." 

The  Baron's  silence  confirmed  the  Cardinal  in  thinking 
that  his  recapitulation  was  accurate. 

"1.  You  say,  Sir  Baron,  that  my  letter  is  seditious;  that 
it  inflames  the  people  against  the  occupying  authority,  and 
that  you  perceive  already  here  and  there  traces  of  popular 
excitement 

"This  is  the  third  time  that  you  have  ventured  to  ad- 
dress me  in  language  such  as  this.  The  first  time  was  last 
January,  when  my  letter  on  'Patriotism  and  Endurance' 
appeared;  the  second  time  in  June,  when,  deprived  of  my 
motorcar,  I  was  compelled  to  walk  on  foot  to  Vilvorde  in 
order  to  reach  Brussels,  and  this  is  now  the  third  time  that 
you  renew  such  language. 

"Has  experience,  then,  not  opened  your  eyes? 


134   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


"Despite  your  pessimistic  anticipations,  has  not  the  coun- 
try continued  calm?  Is  there  a  single  Belgian  during  the 
year  that  you  have  been  treading  our  soil  under  circum- 
stances known  to  you  ;  is  there,  I  say,  a  single  Belgian  that 
has  touched  a  hair  of  a  single  German  head?  Has  a  shot 
been  fired  at  any  of  your  men?" 

"No;  because  we  hold  a  firm  hand  and  keep  a  sharp 
lookout." 

"Not  at  all,  sir;  it  is  not  because  you  hold  a  firm  hand 
and  keep  a  sharp  lookout.  You  would  certainly  admit  that 
if  political  passions,  as  you  affirm,  were  inflamed  against 
you,  there  would  be  found  here  and  there  behind  a  wall  or 
from  the  security  of  an  upper  story  a  hand  armed  with  a 
revolver  to  fire  on  you.  And  among  the  thousands  of  our 
men  who  risk  their  lives  endeavoring  to  join  our  army  some 
few  would  be  found  perchance  to  do  you  an  evil  turn  in  the 
dark.  You,  on  the  contrary,  have  used  every  expedient  to 
provoke  a  rising  of  the  people,  but  the  obstinate  calmness 
of  our  men  has  thwarted  you." 

"So  it  is  we  who  have  provoked  you?  We  are  the  pro- 
vokers?" 

"Yes,  sir:  you  are  the  provokers;  and  I  will  immediately 
furnish  the  proof. 

"At  the  time  my  first  pastoral  was  published,  what  did 
you  do?  You  sent  soldiers  in  the  morning  and  night  on 
bicycles  and  motorcycles  and  also  in  noisy  motorcars  through 
all  the  peaceful  villages  of  Campine  and  Wallon  district; 
you  suddenly  awakened  out  of  their  sleep  the  clergy,  sacris- 
tans, servants  in  presbyteries,  with  threats  on  your  lips  and 
sometimes  with  a  revolver  in  your  hand;  you  made  them 
open  the  churches  and  sacristies,  the  drawers  of  desks,  in  the 
hope  of  laying  hands  on  my  pastoral  and  this  fine  game 
lasted  several  days,  and  while  in  his  letter  of  January  3rd 
the  Governor  General  foretold,  just  as  you  do  today,  a 
rising  of  the  people,  the  people  remained  calm  in  obedience 
to  the  counsels  of  long-suffering  preached  by  us.  Then  as 
now,  today,  the  Belgian  people  continued  submissive,  not 
because  of  you,  but  in  spite  of  you. 


INTERVIEW  WITH  VON  DER  LANCKEN  135 


"And  when  I  went  to  Brussels  to  sing  a  mass  at  St. 
Gudule,  do  you  not  recollect  how  you  treated  me? 

"In  imagination,  I  can  still  see  the  rough  fellow,  who 
barred  my  way  on  the  canal  bridge  at  the  city  gate  inso- 
lently demanding  my  identity  papers. " 

"Oh!  all  our  soldiers  have  not  been  brought  up  in  draw- 
ing-rooms." 

"Nor  ours  either.  Accordingly,  it  is  not  on  this  inten- 
tional insult  that  I  wish  to  base  my  contention.  If  I  have 
recalled  this  fact,  it  is  to  emphasize  another,  namely,  that 
when  several  eye-witnesses,  exasperated  at  this  spectacle  of 
impertinence,  had  respectfully  applauded  the  Cardinal  for 
having  answered  the  demand  addressed  to  him  with  an  act 
of  docility,  one  of  your  officers  ordered  a  bayonet  charge 
to  be  made  on  women  and  children,  who,  without  uttering 
a  word,  had  lavished  upon  me  marks  of  respect.  Was  this, 
or  was  it  not,  calculated  to  provoke  the  people? 

"And  the  next  day,  and  the  next,  how  did  you  treat  me? 

"After  singing  mass  at  St.  Gudule  I  betook  myself  to 
the  Institute  of  St.  Louis,  and  at  6  o'clock  in  the  evening  I 
took  my  departure  for  a  small  country  house  I  possessed 
at  l'Hermite  sous  Braine-FAUeud.  Already  in  the  boule- 
vard of  the  Botanical  Garden  in  front  of  St.  Louis,  two 
spies  on  bicycles  awaited  me  and  they  followed  my  carriage 
all  the  way." 

"Perhaps  some  police  officer  had  on  his  own  initiative 
taken  this  step,  but  the  authorities  are  not  responsible." 
"Pardon  me,  sir,  the  authorities  are  responsible." 
"The  Governor  General?" 

"At  any  rate  a  high  authority  and  here  is  the  proof. 
The  spies  escorted  my  carriage,  halting  when  we  slackened 
our  pace,  quickening  again  when  we  descended  an  incline. 
Arrived  at  Alsemberg,  three  kilometers  from  l'Hermite,  as 
night  was  falling,  I  went  to  the  cure's  residence  and  slept 
at  the  presbytery.  The  following  day  at  5  o'clock  in  the 
morning  I  set  out  on  foot  in  the  direction  of  l'Hermite. 
Scarcely  had  I  left  the  village  when  I  encountered  three 
German  soldiers  on  horseback  coming  toward  me  from  the 
direction  of  Braine-l'Alleud.    The  moment  they  had  passed 


136   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


me  they  turned  bridle  to  accompany  me  to  my  destination. 
I  learned  later  that  the  spies  had  gone  during  the  early 
hours  into  the  churches  of  Braine-FAlleud  and  Alsemberg 
to  see  if  the  priest  at  the  altar  was  not  the  Cardinal.  There- 
fore, Baron,  the  spying  was  organized  by  some  one  who  held 
authority  both  at  Brussels  and  in  the  district  of  Nivelles, 
where  Braine-FAlleud  is  situated;  it  was  therefore  a  high 
authority — a  very  high  authority." 

After  these  words  his  Eminence  made  a  slight  pause  to 
see  what  impression  he  had  made  on  his  interlocutor;  the 
Baron  remained  confused.    The  Cardinal  continued: 

"And  during  the  four  days  I  passed  in  the  country  I 
had  two  sentinels  who  ostensibly  guarded  my  little  prop- 
erty, questioned  the  visitors,  followed  them  when  they  left 
to  ascertain  the  object  of  their  visit:  in  fine,  you  assumed  the 
air  of  people  watching  a  criminal  and  trying  to  stifle  a  con- 
spiracy. 

"And  if  I  were  a  sedition  monger,  Baron,  what  a  splen- 
did game  I  might  have  played!  What  a  lovely  subject  for 
a  sensational  pamphlet  to  appear  at  Paris  or  in  London! 
In  it  I  might  have  narrated  the  antics  at  Malines  and  your 
preposterous  repression  of  the  episcopal  blessing  and  the 
mild  gesture  of  my  private  secretary.  But  I  refrained;  and 
just  as  you  found  me  unbending  in  carrying  out  my  pastoral 
duties,  so  did  I  desire  to  pass  over  merely  personal  inci- 
dents. I  deemed  it  prudent  to  retire  for  some  days  to 
l'Hermite  in  order  to  withdraw  from  any  likely  manifesta- 
tions of  public  sympathy.  With  your  preconceived  ideas 
regarding  me,  you  imagined  my  retreat  could  have  no  other 
motive  than  revolutionary  projects." 

uOh  !  revolutionary,  no." 

"Substitute  seditious.  See,  then,  Baron,  how  the  alleged 
manipulation  of  the  Belgian  people's  ill-will  toward  you 
existed  only  in  your  imagination,  and  the  indications  of  fer- 
ment are  merely  the  intrigues  of  your  spies  and  the  fuss 
made  by  your  inquisitors. 

"The  Belgian  people  are  calm  and  patient,  abiding  their 
time.  There  were  no  francs-tireurs  when  your  armies  in- 
vaded our  territory.    I  trust  there  will  be  none  when  you 


INTERVIEW  WITH  VON  DER  LANCKEN  137 


beat  your  retreat.  Only  lately  I  had  occasion  to  address  all 
the  clergy  of  my  diocese  assembled  at  Malines  for  the  clergy 
retreat,  and  I  urged  them  to  say  to  the  people  :  'The  de- 
fense of  our  country  must  be  left  to  our  army;  it  is  not  your 
task  to  make  irregular  assaults  on  the  enemy.  Do  not  by 
your  rashness  justify  the  reproach  that  slanderous  tongues 
brought  against  you  at  the  outbreak  of  hostilities.' 

"Why,  Baron,  as  to  the  heart  of  the  Belgian  people, 
know  that  you  have  not  captured  it,  nor  will  you  ever  do  so/ 
Let  me  say  with  all  freedom,  and  be  not  ruffled  by  the  appar- 
ent rudeness  of  my  words,  the  Belgians  do  you  no  evil  and 
never  will  ;  but  in  their  hearts  they  hold  your  rule  in  detes- 
tation. That  is  the  truth,  and  after  a  whole  year's  experi- 
ence, strange  to  say,  you  do  not  seem  to  grasp  it. 

uNot  rarely  strangers,  neutrals,  Americans,  Swiss,  pass 
through  here,  and  then  naturally  the  war  and  the  German 
occupation  become  the  topic  of  discourse.  Would  you  like 
to  know  the  unanimous  opinion  of  foreigners  regarding 
you?  The  Germans,  they  say,  have  their  points  assuredly, 
but  they  lack  psychology. 

"Is  that  the  case  ?  You  believe  the  world  to  be  governed 
by  abstract  formulas? 

"You  imagine  that  your  method  of  ruling,  successful  as 
it  may  be  in  Germany,  must  needs  succeed  here.  You  grossly 
deceive  yourselves.  I  have  spent  my  life  in  teaching.  In 
so  doing  I  have  learned  that  in  a  young  man's  education  you 
must  first  learn  to  know  him  before  applying  formulas.  To 
make  laws  and  to  apply  them  are  two  different  matters. 
You  seem  to  be  ignorant  of  these  primary  truths;  hence 
your  mistake.  We  keep  our  hearts  unsubdued,  but  we  are 
patient.  And  what  I  said  in  the  month  of  January  to  those 
who  came  to  complain  in  the  Governor  General's  name  of 
my  first  pastoral,  I  repeat  to  you  today.  It  is  by  giving 
our  people  the  assurance  that  Belgium  is  and  will  remain 
a  free  country  that  we  are  able  to  preach  patience  and  to  see 
that  it  is  practiced  in  spite  of  you. 

"I  believe  I  have  thus  met  the  first  complaint  drawn  up 
against  me  by  the  Governor  General  and  I  have  at  the  same 
time  implicitly  furnished  an  answer  to  the  second. 


i38    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


"2.  The  Governor  finds  there  is  a  lack  of  agreement  be- 
tween the  language  of  my  pastorals  and  the  kindly  disposi- 
tion of  which  I  gave  him  an  assurance  when  he  promised 
on  his  part  to  do  all  in  his  power  to  heal  all  our  wounds." 

"Yes;  the  Governor  General  complains  of  your  pas- 
torals, also  of  the  commentaries,  still  more  unrestrained, 
which  certain  members  of  the  clergy  made  upon  it." 

"I  am  pleased,  Baron,  that  you  call  attention  to  the  com- 
mentaries which  you  say  the  clergy  has  made  on  my  pastoral 
letters.  I  am  aware  that  in  different  circumstances  you  have 
repeated  this  assertion  that  the  clergy  talks  politics  in  the 
pulpit,  and  you  are  wont  to  add:  'It  is  evident  that  in  so 
doing  the  clergy  obey  an  inspiration  of  the  Cardinal's,  since 
the  same  phrase,  one  of  the  Cardinal's  phrases,  is  repeated 
by  all  the  preachers.'  Well,  Baron,  I  should  be  delighted  to 
learn  what  this  celebrated  phrase  is.  One  day  my  secretary, 
M.  Loncin,  asked  you  for  it  in  my  name  and  you  are  said 
to  have  answered:  'Oh!  that  is  an  ancient  story,  I  should 
have  to  refresh  my  memory  to  satisfy  you.'  Today,  when  I 
have  the  opportunity  of  seeing  you  in  person,  I  ask  you 
again,  What  is  this  oft-repeated  phrase?" 

After  a  pause  the  Baron  answered:  "Oh!  that  is  past; 
I  speak  now  of  commentaries  on  your  last  pastoral." 

"Be  it  so  ;  I  do  not  mind  discussing  them,  but  I  would 
like  to  know  all  the  same  in  what  I  have  so  gravely  sinned 
in  the  past." 

A  fresh  pause,  and  the  Baron  uttered  never  a  word. 

"I  imagined  it  was  understood  that  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral would  point  out  to  the  bishops  the  complaints  he  had 
against  the  clergy. 

"Be  good  enough  then  to  tell  me  who  the  priests  of  my 
diocese  are  that  have  made  operations  of  a  seditious  na- 
ture; where,  when,  and  in  what  terms  did  they  make  them?" 

"I  thought  of  bringing  with  me  the  'dossiers'  which  we 
have  at  the  Governor  General's  office  incriminating  several 
priests,  but  at  the  last  moment  we  thought  it  more  advisable 
not  to  discuss  them." 

"You  will  pardon  me,  sir,  for  regarding  this  proceed- 
ing as  strange.    You  incriminate  the  clergy  in  my  presence, 


INTERVIEW  WITH  VON  DER  LANCKEN  139 


you  corne  here  for  that  purpose,  and  when  I  request  you 
to  bring  forward  definite  charges  you  reply:  'I  am  not 
bringing  forward  these  charges  in  detail,  as  I  do  not  wish 
to  discuss  them.' 

"In  that  case,  all  that  remains  for  me  to  do  is  to  talk 
about  myself,  of  my  feelings  toward  the  Governor  General, 
and  what  I  think  of  his  attitude  in  dealing  with  our  coun- 
try. 

"My  feelings  have  never  varied,  but  you  misunderstand 
them. 

"Of  course,  I  desire  to  spare  my  country  fresh  suffer- 
ings; and  when  the  Governor  General  declares  to  me  that 
it  is  his  ambition  to  heal  our  wounds  rather  than  to  embitter 
them,  of  course  I  am  ready  to  second  him. 

"But  the  Governor  General's  mistake,  and  yours  too,  be- 
gins the  moment  you  imagine  that  you  can  treat  us  as 
submissive  children.  This  you  cannot  do;  Belgium  is  not  a 
conquered  country  which  you  have  the  right  to  treat  as  your 
own:  it  is  a  belligerent  nation  which  has  preserved  and  hopes 
still  to  preserve  her  independence  and  her  king. 

"What  you  would  like  to  say  is:  'Put  aside  for  the 
moment  all  the  past  and  let  us  unite  to  work  for  the  resur- 
rection of  the  occupied  country.'  I  know  you  have  often 
used  such  language. 

"But  how  can  we  forget  the  past,  which  is  only  of 
yesterday?  The  ruins  of  our  towns  and  villages  are  still 
smoking,  our  churches  have  been  gutted,  our  families  are 
in  mourning,  our  children  in  misery.  But  the  present,  in 
which  we  live,  on  account  of  which  we  suffer,  springs  from 
this  past  which  your  troops  have  created  for  us. 

"I  know,  Baron,  that  in  an  interview  with  my  secretary, 
Canon  Loncin,  you  were  good  enough  to  acknowledge  that 
not  one  of  the  priests  shot  by  your  armies  at  the  time  of 
invasion  had  been  proved  guilty.  I  am  pleased  with  this 
overdue  recognition  of  our  innocence.  But  what  has  been 
proved  in  the  case  of  our  priests  will  be  proved  tomorrow, 
if  you  allow  it,  in  the  case  of  our  massacred  and  imprisoned 
civilians.  It  is  just  this  investigation  we  demand;  and  so 
long  as  our  rights  and  the  sincerity  of  our  attitude  have 


i4o   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


not  had  due  recognition,  between  you  and  us  no  understand- 
ing is  possible. " 

"You  would  be  quite  wrong  to  doubt  of  the  Governor 
General's  kindly  intentions.  I,  who  am  always  near  him 
and  know  him,  I  can  assure  you  that  he  has  the  sincerest 
desire  to  do  all  he  can  for  the  Belgians." 

"I  do  not  doubt  the  Governor  General's  sincerity.  When 
I  had  the  honor  of  seeing  him,  he  spoke  with  an  accent  of 
sincerity  which  I  believed  then  and  believe  still.  But  be- 
tween him  and  us  there  is  a  fundamental  misunderstanding. 
He  would  wish  to  see  us  submissive,  and  we  claim  the  right 
to  remain  interiorly,  in  heart  and  soul,  unconquered.  We 
respect  your  external  regulations  in  so  far  as  they  are  requi- 
site for  the  maintenance  of  public  order;  but  our  allegiance 
goes  elsewhere. 

"Moreover,  Baron,  there  is  a  wide  margin  between  in- 
tention and  action.  Facts  badly  correspond  with  the  friend- 
ly sentiments  of  which  you  give  us  the  assurance." 

"I  assure  you,  you  misunderstand  Baron  von  Biss- 
ing." 

"But  come;  these  condemnations,  one  after  the  other, 
of  young  men,  of  priests  who  have  tried  to  cross  the  frontier 
or  have  assisted  others  in  the  attempt,  these  condemnations 
to  death,  these  shootings,  etc.  .  .  .  are  these  proofs  of  kind- 
liness?" 

"Oh  !  it  must  be  so  ;  we  cannot  tolerate  any  breach  of 
military  regulations." 

"Be  it  so;  it  is  necessary  to  a  certain  extent,  in  a  sense. 
That  I  understand  and  I  do  not  blame  you  for  it.  But  good- 
will, or  mere  equity,  would  demand  a  milder  application  of 
your  regulations. 

"This  is  how  we  understand  your  position:  You  are 
a  mighty  power  confronted  with  a  very  small  country.  You 
have  trampled  our  soil  under  foot  without  any  invitation 
from  us;  and  your  own  heads  have  acted  as  spokesmen  in 
declaring  that  you  were  sorry  to  have  to  invade  our  terri- 
tory against  your  will,  from  necessity,  and  that  you  were 
desirous  to  repair  as  soon  as  possible  the  wrong  done  us. 

"Remembering  the  conditions  under  which  you  have 


INTERVIEW  WITH  VON  DER  LANCKEN  141 


taken  possession  of  the  greater  part  of  our  soil,  you  ought 
logically  to  have  said  to  yourselves:  'We  will  make  Bel- 
gium suffer  as  little  as  we  can;  we  will  show  her  all  such 
consideration  as  is  consistent  with  the  needs  entailed  by  our 
occupation  of  the  country;  for  when  we  come  to  think  of 
it,  she  was  not  our  enemy,  and  after  all  it  is  we  who  have 
brought  upon  her  the  necessity  of  opposing  our  passage 
across  her  territory.' 

"Why  then  bar  the  road  so  roughly  against  a  few  young 
men  who  are  burning  with  a  desire  to  fulfill  their  patriotic 
duty  at  their  comrades'  side?" 

"But  they  would  all  go!" 

"And  if  they  did  all  go,  where  is  the  great  evil?  You 
boast  of  having  8,000,000  soldiers!  What  can  a  few 
hundreds,  or  let  us  say  a  few  thousands,  more  or  less,  do 
against  you?" 

"It  is  not  that;  believe  me,  we  are  not  afraid  of  them." 

"Very  well,  then,  we  are  agreed.  You  need  not  be  afraid 
of  them.  In  that  case  let  them  pass.  They  will  be  prac- 
ticing a  virtue  which  you  Germans  prize  above  all  others, 
namely,  military  patriotism.  It  will,  therefore,  be  a  good 
thing.  Then  you  will  rid  Belgium  of  youths  disgruntled, 
humbled  and  without  work,  who  at  a  given  moment — I  look 
at  it  from  your  own  point  of  view — may  become  turbulent 
and  dangerous  to  public  order,  which  you  wish  and  ought 
to  preserve.  Look,  for  example,  at  those  young  men  from 
our  universities  who  are  champing  the  bit  in  forced  inaction. 
Would  it  not  be  a  thousand  times  better  for  them  to  be  at 
the  front?  Or  at  least,  if  you  will  not  let  them  go,  if  you 
think  you  ought  to  apply  your  military  regulations  in  their 
case,  let  it  be  so;  arrest  all  you  may  succeed  in  catching; 
prevent  them  from  beginning  their  pranks  again,  but  I  beg 
you  not  to  treat  them  as  criminals. 

"And  if  a  brave  priest  gives  these  dear  young  fellows, 
of  whom,  after  all,  Belgium  is  legitimately  proud,  some 
friendly  advice,  or  puts  them  on  their  road,  or  in  general 
affords  them  help,  is  this  sufficient  reason  to  imprison  him, 
consign  him  to  a  dungeon,  or  deport  him?" 


142   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


"You  admit  yourself,  then,  that  the  clergy  is  in  favor  of 
stirring  up  the  young  people. " 

"No,  I  do  not  admit  that;  but  I  praise  the  clergy  for 
keeping  the  flame  of  patriotism  alive  and  for  not  refusing 
paternal  assistance  to  a  parishioner,  a  university  man,  or  a 
workman  who  has  the  courage  to  risk  his  life  to  go  and 
join  our  army.  And,  as  we  happen  to  be  talking  about  the 
clergy,  will  you  allow  me  to  speak  to  you  in  confidence?" 

"Yes,  I  am  listening  to  you." 

"I  could  be  more  precise  in  what  I  am  about  to  say  by 
mentioning  names,  but  discretion  will  not  allow  me  to  reveal 
them  to  you.  I  refer  to  a  personage,  and  no  one  less  than 
a  member  of  your  own  entourage.  To  a  priest  who  ex- 
pressed himself  surprised  at  the  frequency  of  arrests  among 
priests  and  religious,  this  politician  answered:  'They  are 
revenging  themselves  on  the  priests  for  the  attitude  taken  up 
by  the  Cardinal.'   Is  that  good-will?   Is  that  justice?" 

"Dear  me  ;  who  can  have  said  that?" 

"You  may  ignore  my  confidence  if  you  like;  I  have  no 
wish  to  impose  on  your  credulity.  But  I  assert  that  I  know 
the  person  we  are  talking  about,  and  that  the  priest  to 
whom  he  spoke,  and  who  himself  related  this  to  me  is  abso- 
lutely a  trustworthy  witness."* 

"3.  You  were  saying,  Baron,  that  his  Excellency  the 
Governor  General  finds  it  difficult  to  reconcile  my  habitual 
attitude  with  my  frequent  appeals  to  him  in  favor  of  my 
countrymen.  You  have  not,  I  believe,  uttered  the  word 
ingratitude,  but  it  is  the  one  which  would  sum  up  this 
fresh  complaint.  Well,  I  am  going  to  astonish  you  and, 
I  fear,  hurt  your  feelings." 

*  Note — The  personage  referred  to  here  is  Trimborn,  a  Deputy  of  the 
Centre;  and  the  priest  he  spoke  to  is  the  Superior  of  the  "Aumôniers  du 
Travail"— the  Abbe  Reyn. 

In  a  note  signed  with  his  own  hand,  the  Abbe  Reyn  asserts  that  in 
the  course  of  a  conversation  he  had  with  Trimborn,  he  heard  the  latter 
declare  that  the  heavy  penalties  inflicted  on  Belgian  priests  were  the 
German  Government's  reply  to  the  Cardinal's  activities. 

To  the  Superior  of  the  "Aumôniers  du  Travail,"  who  asked  for  a 
reprieve  for  one  of  his  priests  who  was  ill  and  half  blind  and  who  had  been 
condemned  to  three  years'  imprisonment,  Trimborn  replied  that  the  Cardinal 
could  easily  obtain  this  favor,  besides  many  others,  if  he  would  only  go 
to  Canossa  and  promise  for  the  future  to  act  differently  vis-a-vis  of  the 
German  Government. 


INTERVIEW  WITH  VON  DER  LANCKEN  143 


"Not  at  all;  say  what  you  think." 

"Well,  Baron,  I  tell  you  frankly  and  beg  you  to  repeat 
it  to  the  Governor  General.  I  have  no  gratitude  toward 
you  on  the  score  you  mention,  because  I  owe  you  none." 

"Oh!  Oh!" 

"Have  a  little  patience;  I  will  explain  myself.  There 
is  a  personal  concession  which  you  are  willing  to  make  me, 
and  I  am  grateful  for  it.  I  mean  the  right  to  use  a  motor- 
car. 

"But  in  regard  to  requests,  rather  frequent,  addressed 
to  the  Governor  General,  I  admit  the  only  things  I  have 
met  with  have  been  refusals.  I  am  quite  accustomed  to 
reading  in  the  first  sentence  of  the  answer:  'Ich  bedauere' 
(I  regret).  Things  have  come  to  such  a  pass,  that  when 
appeals  are  made  for  my  intervention  with  the  Governor 
General,  I  am  obliged  to  answer,  and  as  a  rule  I  do  answer  : 
'Dear  Sir,  or  Madam,  I  should  like  to  be  of  service  to  you, 
but  I  fear  that  I  might  do  you  more  harm  than  good.'  " 

"But  I  still  assert  that  his  Excellency  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral is  very  well  disposed." 

"The  matter  is  very  simple.  On  your  return  to  Brus- 
sels, refer  to  your  records  ;  and,  if  you  can,  confute  me  by 
telling  me  when  and  in  what  my  requests  have  been  acceded 
to. 

"I  remember  a  case  which  was  particularly  painful  to 
me.  A  seminarist,  the  Abbe  G.  Van  der  Elst,  in  whom  I 
took  an  affectionate  interest,  was  threatened  with  condemna- 
tion for  having  helped  some  young  men  to  pass  the  frontiers 
of  Holland." 

"Yes,  I  am  acquainted  with  Abbe  Van  der  Elst's  case." 

"They  even  dared  to  suggest  the  death  penalty  for  acts 
which  every  patriot  must  in  his  heart  admire. 

"I  was  expecting,  therefore,  that  the  young  seminarist 
would  be  condemned  to  prison,  and  in  a  pressing  letter,* 
which  I  tried  to  make  as  respectful  as  possible,  I  had  begged 
Baron  von  Bissing  to  declare  that  in  case  the  young  student 
were  condemned,  he  might  undergo  the  penalty  in  a  Belgian 

*  Note — This  intervention  in  favor  of  Abbe  Van  der  Elst  took  place 
on  July  4,  1915. 


144   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


prison  so  that  he  might  have  help  in  the  pursuit  of  his 
studies.  " 

"But  what  happened  then?" 

"As  if  they  were  anxious  to  give  me  proof  of  wishing 
to  lacerate  my  heart,  G.  Van  der  Elst  was  deported  to 
Germany  immediately  after  his  condemnation  ;  and  to  a  lady 
who  was  weeping  and  pleading  for  a  delay,  saying:  'We 
know  that  the  Cardinal  of  Malines  has  asked  the  Governor 
General  to  allow  the  condemned  to  do  his  sentence  in  St. 
Giles  prison,'  they  answered:  'Nonsense;  when  he  is  in 
Germany  he  can  always  be  sent  back.' 

"You  see,  Baron,  that  my  debt  of  gratitude  is  not  heavy. 

"Only  yesterday,  I  again  addressed  to  the  Governor 
General  an  appeal  in  favor  of  prisoners  awaiting  trial, 
especially  the  case  of  two  religious,  Fathers  Quevit  and  Van 
Nylen,  who  are  here  in  a  dungeon  at  Malines,  treated  more 
harshly  than  those  who  are  doing  their  sentence.  I  ask 
that  they  be  allowed  to  say  mass  and  to  be  looked  upon  only 
as  accused  men.  I  am  curious  to  see  what  will  be  the  upshot 
of  my  appeal." 

"You  are  right  in  drawing  my  attention  to  these  re- 
ligious. I  will  look  into  your  Eminence's  appeal  on  my  return 
to  Brussels." 

"I  thank  you." 

4.  The  conversation  about  the  bad  treatment  meted 
out  to  prisoners  awaiting  trial  had  taken  a  serious  turn. 

When  he  came  to  the  fourth  point,  the  Cardinal  smiled. 

"Baron,"  said  he,  "let  us  go  through  a  little  history. 
My  pastoral  letter  is  dated,  if  I  remember  right,  the  Feast 
of  St.  Matthew,  that  is  to  say,  September  21st.  You  will 
admit,  no  doubt,  that  to  arrange  it,  to  have  it  printed,  and 
to  issue  it  to  the  clergy,  a  whole  week  was  necessary.  This 
brings  us  back  to  the  10th  or  12th  of  September.  At  that 
date,  the  retreat  of  your  troops  had  not  yet  taken  place  and, 
if  I  am  well  informed,  our  allies'  offensive  had  not  yet  be- 
gun." * 

"But  you  might  have  known  it  was  coming." 

"No,  Baron,  I  did  not  know  it.    You  are  greatly  mis- 

•Note — The  Anglo-French  offensive  opened  on  September  24. 


INTERVIEW  WITH  VON  DER  LANCKEN  145 


taken  about  me.  I  am  only  a  bishop  and  not  more  than  a 
bishop;  I  am  not  in  the  secrets  of  our  general  headquar- 
ters. 

"You  do  not  understand  me;  you  judge  me  falsely.  I 
hope  that  till  the  end  I  shall  have  the  courage  to  do  my 
duty — the  whole  of  my  duty  as  pastor  of  souls;  but  I  do  not 
meddle  with  military  affairs." 

"Then  your  Eminence  does  not  disown  your  resistance 
to  the  occupying  power?" 

"What  resistance?" 

"Notably  that  which  you  reveal  in  your  last  pastoral." 

"Tell  me,  pray,  where  in  it  is  resistance  to  the  German 
authorities  advocated?  The  Germans  are  not  even  once 
mentioned  there." 

"Not  mentioned,  no.  But  one  can  read  between  the 
lines." 

"Oh!  indeed,  Baron;  I  am  responsible  for  what  I  have 
written  and  signed,  not,  as  you  will  admit,  for  what  it 
pleases  you  to  ascribe  to  me  as  the  outcome  of  your  sus- 
picions." 

"Nevertheless,  we  find  that,  taking  their  sermons  as  a 
whole,  the  clergy  is  more  and  more  advocating  resistance 
and  meddling  in  politics." 

"I  have  already  asked  more  than  once  to  be  kindly  told 
who,  where,  when  and  how." 

"But  your  letter  is  itself  an  incentive  to  resistance." 

"This,  Baron,  brings  us  back  to  our  starting  point;  and 
I  believe  I  have  proved  to  you  by  facts  that  experience  is 
against  your  unfair  accusations. 

"These  words,  politics,  resistance,  are  vague;  you  should 
be  more  precise.  If  by  'resistance'  you  mean  armed  rebel- 
lion, recourse  to  violent  measures,  or  inciting  others  to  have 
recourse  to  them,  then  you  are  within  your  rights  in  for- 
bidding us  to  resist;  and  we  assert  on  our  side,  that  in  this 
sense  we  abstain  from  resistance. 

"But  if  by  resistance  you  understand  the  assertion  of 
our  rights,  recourse  to  prayer,  whether  public  or  private,  to 
obtain  God's  protection  on  our  country  and  for  the  triumph 
of  the  sacred  rights   of  patriotism — then,  Baron,  I  am 


i46    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


obliged  in  conscience  to  tell  you  that  I  will  continue  to  resist 
you  without  flinching." 
"But,  then?" 

"Then? — you  can  do  anything  you  please." 

At  these  words  Baron  von  der  Lancken  got  up.  "I  shall 
leave,"  said  he,  "to  make  my  report  to  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral." 

Before  he  went  out  of  the  parlor,  he  turned  to  the  Car- 
dinal. 

"I  should  like  also  to  say  a  word  to  you  about  a  con- 
versation which  I  have  had  with  Canon  Loncin,  the  diocesan 
secretary. 

"One  day  a  minister  of  the  Imperial  Government,  pass- 
ing by  Malines,  visited  the  Cathedral  and  asked  if  there 
were  no  way  of  concealing  *  or  rather  repairing  the  huge 
hole  in  the  side  wall  and  of  making  urgent  repairs  to  pre- 
vent more  serious  dilapidations.  I  told  M.  Loncin  that  the 
German  Government  was  ready  to  grant  a  subsidy  for  this 
purpose.  I  do  not  know  whether  M.  Loncin  told  you  the 
answer  he  brought  me,  but  I  was  astounded.  He  told  me 
that  he  did  not  believe  that  the  'conseil  de  fabrique' — I  be- 
lieve that  is  what  you  call  the  commission  which  deals  with 
the  temporalities  of  the  church — was  prepared  to  accept  this 
offer.  Nevertheless,  I  assure  your  Eminence  that  I  had  no 
afterthought.  My  intention  was  solely  to  manifest  my  in- 
terest in  a  work  of  art,  a  cathedral.  I  might  have  said  to 
M.  Loncin  that  if  the  Belgians  did  not  want  a  subsidy  be- 
cause it  came  from  German  hands,  then  it  is  not  the  Ger- 
mans who  are  acting  as  barbarians." 

"Baron,"  replied  the  Cardinal,  "I  am  not  ignorant  of 
the  gracious  offer  which  you  made  to  my  secretary  in  your 
Government's  name,  and  we  do  not  know  how  to  thank 
you  enough  for  it.  But  surely  you  see  that  the  question  of 
the  restoration  of  our  churches  is  somewhat  premature. 
Malines  Cathedral  has  suffered,  no  doubt,  and  I  know  it 
better  than  anybody,  since  every  Sunday  I  am  present  at 
functions,  no  longer  in  the  majestic  building  of  yore,  but  in 

*  Note — The  Baron  seemed  very  concerned  at  having  let  escape  the 
word  "conceal,"  which  badly  disguised  his  thoughts. 


INTERVIEW  WITH  VON  DER  LANCKEN  147 


a  large  hall  closed  in  as  a  makeshift  with  boards.  But 
there  are  some  people  who  have  been  more  sorely  tried  than 
those  of  Malines.  There  are  many  parishes  which  have  no 
longer  a  church,  where  worship  is  performed  in  an  impro- 
vised hall,  in  a  school,  or  clubrooms.  That  is  where  help  is 
needed  first  and  foremost." 

"Yes;  but  I  do  not  speak  of  a  new  building.  I  know 
well  that  the  subsidy  we  can  offer  you  would  not  be  suf- 
ficient for  that;  but  we  were  thinking  of  the  most  urgent 
repairs  necessary  to  a  monument  of  art  such  as  is  your 
Cathedral." 

"The  exact  estimate  has  not  been  made — it  is  impos- 
sible to  make  it  now — as  to  what  the  repairs  of  our  metro- 
politan church  would  cost;  but  I  am  assured  that  the  work 
would  cost  over  a  million  francs;  in  which  case,  what  do 
you  expect  to  do  toward  it  with  a  few  thousand  marks? 
The  work  in  view  is  a  considerable  one  which  must  be  done 
according  to  plan  and  not  piecemeal.  It  would  be  premature 
to  set  about  the  work  at  once. 

"M.  Loncin  must  have  told  you  that  the  'conseil  de 
fabrique,'  of  which  I  am  president  in  my  own  right,  is  made 
up  of  seven  members;  and  he  added,  as  he  told  me,  that  if  I 
were  to  vote  for  the  subsidy  you  have  been  kind  enough  to 
offer  us  the  other  members  would  vote  against  it.  To  be 
frank  with  you,  I  believe  that  M.  Loncin  has  spoken  the 
truth.  We  Belgians  are  indeed  fastidious;  we  claim  our 
rights,  but  we  do  not  like  favors." 

The  interview  ended  with  this  statement,  made  with  a 
smile,  but  in  a  firm,  decided  tone. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


TREATMENT  OF  RELIGIOUS  AWAITING  TRIAL  IN  THE  MILI- 
TARY PRISONS  AT  MALINES  AND  AT  LOUVAIN 

Several  religious  prosecuted  for  having  abetted  recruit- 
ing for  the  Belgian  army  in  occupied  territory  had  been,  in 
consequence  of  the  prisons  being  full,  thrown  into  mili- 
tary cells  at  Malines  and  Louvain.  Kept  in  the  most  rigor- 
ous seclusions;  deprived,  in  spite  of  Von  Bissing' s  promise, 
of  the  consolation  of  saying  mass,  the  prioners  had  to  pass 
the  whole  day  long  in  a  wretched  narrow  cell  without  win- 
dows and  into  which  air  and  light  could  only  enter  through 
chinks  left  between  planks  forming  the  ceiling. 

The  Cardinal,  being  informed  of  this  severe  treatment, 
asked  Von  Bissing  to  mitigate  in  some  way  this  cruel  state 
of  affairs.  He  interceded  on  behalf  of  Fathers  Quevit, 
O.  P.,  and  Van  Nylen,  S.  J.,  Devroye,  S.  J.,  Mertens,  S.  J. 

In  each  case  the  Governor  General  showed  himself  ready 
to  meet  the  Cardinal's  appeal.  He  even  went  so  far  as 
to  answer  him  by  wire  that  his  wishes  would  be  acceded  to. 
But  his  good  intentions,  real  or  apparent,  had  no  effect. 
The  Kreischefs  of  Malines  and  Louvain,  on  being  re- 
quested by  the  Governor  General  to  give  him  some  infor- 
mation about  the  religious  in  question,  sent  back  lying  re- 
ports affirming  that  the  prisoners  had  made  no  complaint. 
Von  Bissing,  on  the  strength  of  these  reports,  told  the  Car- 
dinal that  he  had  been  making  groundless  complaints  and 
he  even  reproached  him  with  being  ill-informed  of  what 
went  on  in  the  prisons.  The  Cardinal  refused  to  be  dis- 
comfited. In  his  letters  of  November  6th  and  12th  he  re- 
turned to  the  charge  and  proved  without  doubt  that  the 
Kreischefs  reports  were  inaccurate. 

The  conditions  of  the  prisoners  continued  unchanged  in 

148 


RELIGIOUS  AWAITING  TRIAL  149 


spite  of  the  Cardinal's  pressing  and  repeated  endeavors. 
On  one  point  alone  did  he  obtain  satisfaction.  After  nego- 
tiations, which  went  on  for  more  than  three  weeks,  arrange- 
ments were  made  by  the  German  military  administration 
for  priests  and  religious  detained  under  suspicion  to  say  mass 
in  prison. 

Archbishop*  s  House,  M  alines, 

October  7th,  19 15. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — I  consider  it  my  duty  to  call  your  kind  attention  to 
a  state  of  affairs  existing  at  Malines  and  about  which  I 
feel  sure  you  have  no  knowledge. 

Two  priests,  both  of  them  religious,  Father  Quevit,  a 
Dominican,  and  Father  Van  Nylen,  a  Jesuit,  are  being  de- 
tained on  suspicion,  the  latter  during  the  last  few  days,  the 
former  for  seven  weeks,  in  a  dungeon  of  the  Malines  prison. 
They  are  deprived  of  holy  mass,  are  condemned  to  a  life  of 
complete  idleness,  and  altogether  pass  their  days  in  de- 
moralizing surroundings. 

That  needful  measures  should  be  taken  to  prevent  the 
escape  of  the  prisoners,  one  can  understand;  but  surely  your, 
Excellency  does  not  wish  to  impose  upon  them  worse  pun- 
ishment than  what  condemned  criminals  have  to  suffer. 

I  put  the  situation  before  your  Excellency  with  confi- 
dence, and  I  beg  you  to  accept  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Governor  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 
P.  No.  18495.  October  13th,  19 15. 

To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

In  reply  to  your  Eminence's  esteemed  letter  dated  7th 
instant,  I  have  the  honor  to  inform  you  that  I  have  given 
immediate  orders  for  Father  Quevit  and  Father  Van  Nylen 
to  be  treated  in  accordance  with  their  rank.  I  have,  there- 
fore, arranged  for  them  to  be  able  to  say  mass  during  the 


i5o    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


time  their  case  is  being  judicially  investigated,  also  for  them 
to  be  treated  in  all  things  in  a  manner  becoming  their  sta- 
tion and  to  be  given  all  such  freedom  as  is  compatible  with 
their  position  as  prisoners  awaiting  trial. 

I  offer  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem  and  I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  devoted  servant. 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Major  General. 

Archbishop's  House,  Maiines, 
October  i$th,  191 5. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — I  thank  your  Excellency  for  the  kind  feelings  shown 
in  the  letter  with  which  you  honored  me  under  date  13th 
instant. — P.  No.  18495. 

Since  the  day  on  which  I  intervened  with  your  Excel- 
lency on  behalf  of  the  Rev.  Fathers  Quevit  and  Van  Nylen, 
the  former  has  been  condemned  to  be  deported  to  Germany. 
The  latter  is  detained  in  the  Lancers'  barracks  at  Maiines 
and  is  being  forced,  I  am  assured,  to  follow  the  common  life 
of  a  prisoner;  and  that  yesterday,  Friday,  he  had  not  as  yet 
obtained  the  authorization  which  your  Excellency  was  kind 
enough  to  lead  him  to  expect;  that,  namely,  to  say  mass. 

I  have  no  doubt  that  your  Excellency's  instructions  in 
this  respect  will  be  promptly  carried  out. 

Accept,  sir,  the  expression  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Maiines. 

Governor  General's  Office,  Brussels, 
P.  20001.  October  30th,  191 5. 

To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Maiines. 

Your  Eminence's  last  letter  dated  October  15th,  1915,. 
greatly  astonished  me,  for  it  has  been  proved  that  my  or- 
ders have  been  carried  out  without  the  least  hitch. 

The  necessary  steps  were  taken  immediately  for  impris- 
oned priests  to  say  mass.    Exceptions  to  the  prison  routine 


RELIGIOUS  AWAITING  TRIAL  151 


had  already  been  made  previously  in  favor  of  ecclesiastics, 
in  the  sense  that  they  were  treated  in  a  way  worthy  of  their 
rank;  quite  a  number  of  exceptional  permissions  had  already 
been  granted  them.  The  priests  we  are  speaking  of  have 
never  made  a  request  nor  offered  any  complaint,  but  to 
the  questions  put  them  they  replied  that  they  desired  noth- 
ing. Your  Eminence  must  have  received  information  of  an 
altogether  false  character  to  think  yourself  justified  in  re- 
proaching me  for  the  manner  in  which  ecclesiastics  are  being 
treated.  I  inclose  with  my  letter  a  copy  of  a  report  which 
the  Kreischef  of  Malines  made  in  obedience  to  my  order; 
your  Eminence  will  find  therein  a  proof  of  my  contention. 

I  beg  your  Eminence  to  confirm  my  statement  that  you 
have  been  misinformed  regarding  the  treatment  hitherto 
meted  out  to  ecclesiastics. 

I  offer  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem  and  I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  devoted  servant. 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Major  General. 

COPY 

The  Imperial  Kreischef,  Brussels, 
Tgb.  No.  97.  October  27th,  1915. 

To  the  Military  Government  of  Antwerp. 

In  reply  to  the  order  received  by  telephone  today,  fol- 
lowing on  the  telephonic  order  of  the  19th  instant  and 
the  written  order  of  the  nth  instant,  relative  to  the  manner 
in  which  ecclesiastics  awaiting  trial  are  treated,  I  make  the 
following  declaration: 

Among  those  incarcerated  at  the  Malines  prison,  there 
were  to  be  found  on  the  10th  of  this  month  two  ecclesias- 
tics, Fathers  Quevit  and  Van  Nylen.  Father  Quevit,  sen- 
tenced to  two  and  one-half  years'  penal  servitude  for  at- 
tempted military  treason,  was,  following  on  the  order  of  the 
nth  inst.,  which  I  have  mentioned  above,  deported  to  Ger- 
many. Father  Van  Nylen,  who  is  likewise  under  strong 
suspicion  of  military  treason  and  who  is  still  for  the  present 
detained  on  suspicion  under  guard  of  the  military  police,  has 


152    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


had  during  his  sojourn  here  a  room  to  himself.  He  is 
treated  with  all  the  deference  due  to  his  rank;  every  possible 
facility — long  walks,  permission  to  write,  to  receive  and  pay 
visits,  good  food,  etc. — has  been  given  him.  The  facts  have 
been  corroborated  by  the  Kreisant  and  the  military  police. 
We  have  always  tried  to  avoid  bringing  ecclesiastics  into 
contact  with  common  prisoners.  At  the  Lancers'  barracks 
there  are  practically  none  but  political  prisoners;  they  are 
watched  only  to  prevent  their  communication  with  one  an- 
other. 

Thus  Father  Van  Nylen,  in  reply  to  all  the  questions 
put  him  by  the  head  of  the  police  as  to  any  complaints  he 
might  have  to  make,  has  always  declared  that  he  desired 
nothing  more  than  what  he  already  had. 

He  has  never  made  any  request  to  say  mass,  nor  has 
Father  Quevit  during  the  whole  of  his  stay  ever  manifested 
this  desire.  The  Father  Provincial  and  prior  of  all  the 
Dominican  monasteries  in  Belgium  in  the  course  of  his 
numerous  visits  to  the  police  station  has  never  mentioned  the 
matter. 

That  is  the  reason  why  no  steps  have  ever  been  taken  to 
fit  up  a  room  for  the  celebration  of  holy  mass. 

The  execution  of  the  order  of  October  nth,  191 5,  was 
fraught  with  certain  difficulties,  for  we  had  no  suitable  or 
appropriate  place  at  our  disposal.  We  had  also  to  meet 
the  difficulty  of  surveillance.  We  had  to  take  into  account 
the  scarcity  of  guards  and  the  fact  also  that  five  prisoners 
had  already  succeeded  in  escaping  from  the  barracks. 

After  frequent  negotiations  with  the  Catholic  chaplain 
Gierlichs,  a  room  possessing  all  the  requirements  for  a 
chapel  has  been  fitted  up  at  the  Lancers'  barracks.  We  have 
considered  the  requests  made  me  by  the  chaplain  during 
a  conversation  I  had  with  him;  we  have  obtained  for  him 
thirty  chairs,  four  benches,  a  chandelier  and  a  big  stove. 

For  the  time  being,  the  question  of  servers  at  mass  is 
still  in  suspense.  The  priest  wanted  to  have  as  server  a 
prisoner  who  is  detained  on  suspicion  after  trying  to  pass 
the  frontier.    For  easily  understood  reasons,  this  permis- 


RELIGIOUS  AWAITING  TRIAL  153 


sion  cannot  be  granted.  A  Catholic  soldier  has  been  ap- 
pointed to  fulfill  this  office. 

The  Kreischef. 
(Signed)  Jochmus, 

Colonel. 

The  report  of  the  Kreischef  is  full  of  inaccuracies  and 
errors.  Father  Van  Nylen,  he  says,  had  a  room  all  to  him- 
self :  that  is  to  say,  he  was  lodged  in  a  filthy  military  dun- 
geon like  all  the  others.  At  broad  noon  one  could  not  see 
inside  of  it;  the  only  light  there  was  came  in  through  crev- 
ices in  the  iron  beams  supporting  the  ceiling. 

The  prisoners'  walks  took  place  in  a  little  back  yard 
fifteen  yards  in  length.  They  lasted  at  first  half  an  hour, 
later  on  an  hour.  When  the  time  for  a  walk  came  the 
father  had  to  repair  to  the  yard,  no  matter  what  the  weather 
might  be. 

He  never  asked  to  say  mass,  affirms  the  report.  That 
is  false.  At  the  German  chaplain's  first  visit,  Father  Van 
Nylen  put  his  painful  case  before  him,  insisting  especially 
on  his  privation  of  holy  mass.  The  chaplain  went  to  the 
Kommandantur;  but  there  he  was  told  that  they  could  not 
grant  imprisoned  priests  facilities  for  saying  mass.  Only 
after  three  weeks,  following  a  visit  from  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral's chaplain,  did  Father  Van  Nylen  receive  the  much- 
desired  permission. 

One  day  the  Kreischef  himself  went  to  the  prisoner's  cell 
and  asked  if  he  had  any  complaints  to  make.  The  father 
told  him  that  it  was  against  all  law  to  keep  any  one  in 
prison  on  suspicion  for  three  months  in  a  dungeon  where 
only  young  soldiers  were  confined  and  that  for  only  a  few 
days.  The  only  answer  he  had  was  the  Kreischef's  asser- 
tion that  it  was  Belgians  who  had  built  this  dungeon  and  that 
there  were  no  other  places  at  his  disposal. 

The  Kreischef  excels  in  audacity  when  he  asserts  in  his 
report  that  Father  Van  Nylen  "has  always  declared  that 
he  desired  nothing  more  than  what  he  already  had." 

The  Cardinal,  in  his  letter  of  November  6th,  puts 
things  in  their  true  perspective  and  cleared  himself  of  von 


154   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Bissing's  allegation  that  he  was  misinformed  regarding  what 
took  place  in  the  prisons  alluded  to. 

Archbishop' s  H  oust r,  M  alines, 

November  6th,  19 15. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — On  November  1st  I  received  the  letter  P.  20001 
with  which  your  Excellency  honored  me  dated  October  30th. 
In  it  you  express  the  opinion  that  the  information  contained 
in  my  letters  of  October  7th  and  16th  about  the  conditions 
under  which  Fathers  Quevit  and  Van  Nylen  are  imprisoned 
is  without  foundation. 

I  cannot  do  better  than  put  the  facts  before  your  Excel- 
lency and  give  you  the  precise  dates.  Then  you  yourself 
will  see  that  it  is  the  unvarnished  truth. 

My  first  letter  is  dated  October  7th.  In  it  I  told  your 
Excellency  that  Fathers  Quevit  and  Van  Nylen,  though 
merely  under  suspicion,  were  being  kept  in  a  dungeon.  I 
asked  for  a  mitigation  of  their  lot  and  facilities  for  saying 
mass. 

Very  kindly  on  October  13th  your  Excellency  wrote  to 
me  that  as  the  result  of  orders  given  immediately  by  you, 
the  priests'  accommodation  would  without  delay  be  altered 
to  suit  their  dignity  and  that  steps  would  be  taken  to  enable 
them  to  say  mass  so  long  as  the  judicial  investigation  of 
their  case  lasted. 

I  had  all  the  more  reason  to  hope  that  the  two  religious 
would  not  have  to  wait  long  before  enjoying  the  improve- 
ment asked  for,  because,  on  the  occasion  of  a  visit  he  paid 
me  on  October  8th,  the  Baron  von  der  Lancken  seemed  dis- 
posed to  second  my  request  to  your  Excellency. 

This  is  what  actually  took  place  :  On  Saturday,  Oc- 
tober 9th,  in  any  case,  so  I  am  assured,  certainly  before 
October  13th,  Father  Quevit  was  taken  out  of  his  dungeon 
to  be  tried,  was  found  guilty  and  immediately  deported 
to  Germany.  Therefore,  neither  did  he  know  anything 
about  a  mitigation  of  his  sentence  nor  had  he  the  satisfaction 
of  saying  mass. 


RELIGIOUS  AWAITING  TRIAL  155 


As  regards  Father  Van  Nylen,  after  having  been  shut 
up  on  July  31st  in  a  dungeon  at  the  barracks  in  Louvain 
and  then  transferred  to  the  jail  of  the  same  town,  he  was 
imprisoned  in  a  dungeon  at  the  Lancers'  barracks  in  Malines 
on  October  2d.  On  October  26th  he  was  still  there  and 
had  not  as  yet  obtained  leave  to  say  mass. 

It  was  only  on  Monday  the  25th  that  the  provincial  mili- 
tary chaplain,  Father  Gierlichs,  came  to  me  with  the  news 
that  leave  was  going  to  be  given  to  Father  Van  Nylen  to 
say  mass,  but  that  the  requisites  for  this  purpose  did  not 
exist  at  the  barracks.  Immediately  a  secretary  from  the 
Archbishop's  House,  Canon  Van  Olmen,  was  commissioned 
to  procure  all  the  necessary  requisites;  a  building  was  pre- 
pared on  the  26th  and  on  the  27th  the  father  had  the 
consolation  of  saying  his  first  mass  in  prison.  Since  the 
27th  your  Excellency's  orders  concerning  the  celebration  of 
mass  have  been  carried  out. 

Relying  on  a  report  dated  October  27th  of  the  Kreis- 
chef  M.  Jochmus,  your  Excellency  reproaches  me  with 
having  complained  without  reason  of  the  treatment  meted 
out  to  religious  detained  in  prison.  Your  Excellency  ex- 
presses yourself  as  follows:  "Your  Eminence  must  there- 
fore have  been  quite  misinformed  when  you  think  it  right 
to  reproach  me  with  the  way  in  which  the  clergy  is  being 
treated." 

Nevertheless,  truth  compels  me  to  uphold  the  correct- 
ness of  my  communications. 

I  have  questioned  several  witnesses  whose  good  faith  is 
beyond  all  cavil,  who  have  themselves  gone  through  life  in 
the  dungeon  here  or  have  been  allowed  to  enter  one  on  the 
occasion  of  a  visit  to  the  prisoners. 

This  is  substantially  what  they  declare  :  The  room 
which  the  prisoners  are  shut  up  in  is  very  narrow  and  badly 
ventilated;  there  is  neither  table  nor  chair  to  be  found  in  it; 
in  general,  there  is  not  the  cleanliness  there  should  be;  there 
is  hardly  any  light;  a  witness  who  occupied  the  cell  in  the 
middle  of  summer  asserts  that  then  he  could  hardly  read 
between  10  a.  m.  and  2  p.  m.  ;  Father  Van  Nylen  has,  dur- 
ing the  few  weeks  of  his  detention,  used  as  a  makeshift  at 


156    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


least  two  dozen  candles.  Under  these  circumstances  the 
prisoners  find  themselves  condemned  to  a  sort  of  stagna- 
tion, to  enforced  idleness  and  to  an  oppressive  boredom; 
and  from  3  or  4  p.  m.  till  the  next  morning  they  remain  per- 
force reclining  on  a  mattress,  if  a  friend  has  been  good 
enough  to  supply  them  with  one,  otherwise  on  a  bed  of 
straw.  Every  one  must  admit  that  such  a  regime  is  demor- 
alizing. 

And  when  one  considers  that  several  of  those  who  are 
enduring  for  weeks  or  even  for  months  at  a  time  these 
mental  tortures  and  these  privations  have  not  been  tried 
and  have  not  been  declared  guilty,  but  are  merely  awaiting 
trial;  when  one  knows  that  the  accusations  brought  against 
them  relate  to  acts  which  the  Government  no  doubt  has  a 
strict  right  to  prevent,  but  which  are  none  the  less  required 
by  a  patriotism  which  calls  for  respect,  one  cannot  help 
thinking  that  your  Excellency  must  be  ignorant  of  the  abuses 
which  are  committed  under  cover  of  your  authority;  and 
one  cannot  give  up  hoping  that,  when  better  informed,  you 
will  no  longer  tolerate  such  things. 

It  is  possible  that  Father  Van  Nylen's  fate  will  soon 
be  decided.  But,  if  I  have  intervened  in  the  case  of  two 
religious  who  had  a  special  claim  to  my  protection,  never- 
theless I  should  like  your  Excellency  to  extend  your  benev- 
olence to  all  prisoners  not  yet  found  guilty. 

Please  accept,  sir,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Hardly  had  the  preceding  letter  been  dispatched  when 
the  Cardinal  learned  of  the  arrest  of  Fathers  Devroye  and 
Mertens,  S.  J.  He  immediately  intervened  on  their  behalf 
to  obtain  favorable  conditions  for  their  internment. 

Archbishop's  House,  Malines, 

November  7th,  1915. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — At  the  risk  of  importuning  your  Excellency,  I  find 
myself  obliged  to  supplement  my  letter  of  yesterday.  I 


RELIGIOUS  AWAITING  TRIAL  157 


have  just  had  news  of  the  condemnation  of  the  Rev.  Father 
Van  Nylen  and  also  of  the  internment  of  Father  Devroye 
în  a  dungeon  at  Malines  barracks.  This  excellent  man, 
Father  Devroye,  is  a  friend  and  cousin  of  mine.  It  is  pain- 
ful for  me  to  think  that  he  had  to  pass  Saturday  night  last 
on  straw  in  an  unhealthy  cell  such  as  I  described  to  your 
Excellency  yesterday. 

I  learn  on  good  authority  that  Father  Mertens,  of  Brus- 
sels, has  been  put  into  a  cell  at  Louvain  under  the  same 
conditions. 

Again  I  appeal  to  your  Excellency's  humane  and  just 
feelings. 

Father  Devroye  suffers  from  very  poor  health  ;  I  beg  of 
your  Excellency  to  send  a  doctor  to  him  as  soon  as  possible 
to  examine  him.  He  could  not  bear  up  long  under  the 
treatment  he  is  undergoing. 

Accept,  your  Excellency,  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Two  days  after,  von  Bissing  sent  the  Cardinal  from  his 
residence  at  Trois  Fontaines  the  following  telegram  : 

Trois  Fontaines, 
November  gth,  191 5. 

Cardinal  Mercier,  Malines. 

In  accordance  with  your  Eminence's  wish,  I  have  given 
orders  by  telephone  for  an  improvement  to  be  carried  out 
in  the  treatment  of  the  imprisoned  priests  referred  to  in 
your  letter. 

The  Governor  General. 
(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Major  General. 

The  Cardinal  hastened  to  thank  von  Bissing  for  the 
kindness  shown  by  him  to  the  religious  in  prison  awaiting 
trial  : 


i58    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

November  10th,  19 15. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — Your  Excellency  has  been  kind  enough  to  assure 
me  by  wire  last  night  that  religious  imprisoned  under  sus- 
picion would  for  the  future  have  better  accommodations. 
I  am  very  grateful  to  you  for  this  assurance,  and  I  take 
the  liberty  to  insist  that  all  suspected  prisoners  should  be 
treated  with  the  same  fairness. 

This  very  evening  the  news  has  reached  me  that  a 
civilian  prisoner  in  poor  health,  M.  Wasnair,  whom  I  had 
the  honor  to  recommend  to  your  Excellency,  has  been  re- 
stored to  his  family. 

For  this  I  am  grateful  to  your  Excellency,  and  beg 
you  to  accept  the  expression  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  Governor  General  forwarded  to  his  Eminence  a 
copy  of  the  Kreischef  of  Malines's  report  on  the  conditions 
of  Father  Devroye's  internment. 

Governor  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 

November  iothy  19 15. 
To   His   Eminence    Cardinal    Mercier,   Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

As  a  sequel  to  my  wire  of  yesterday,  I  have  the  honor 
to  inclose  herewith  the  copy  of  a  report  from  the  Kreischef 
of  Malines  and  a  bulletin  of  the  army  medical  service  about 
Father  Devroye,  who  is  detained  under  suspicion  in  the 
prison  of  this  town.  From  these  documents  it  is  clear 
that  the  priest  interested  has  no  ground  of  complaint  against 
the  treatment  to  which  he  is  subjected,  that  he  is  well  and 
quite  capable  of  undergoing  the  prison  regime. 

About  Father  Mertens,  imprisoned  at  Louvain,  notice 
has  been  given  me  through  the  telephone  that  he  was  in 
the  same  condition  as  Father  Devroye.  I  have  not  yet  re- 
ceived the  written  report.  I  intend  to  pass  it  on  to  you 
immediately  when  I  receive  it. 


RELIGIOUS  AWAITING  TRIAL  159 


I  present  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem  and  have  the  honor  to  be  your  very  devoted  ser- 
vant. 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Major  General. 

Copy  of  the  Kreischef's  report  inclosed  with  the  preced- 
ing letter: 

Kreischefs  Office,  M  alines, 
No.  7049  77.  November  10th,  19 15. 

To  the  General  Government  of  Belgium,  Brussels.  * 

In  execution  of  the  order  communicated  to  me  by  tele- 
phone on  November  9th,  191 5,  I  forward  herewith  a  medi- 
cal report  on  the  state  of  health  of  Father  Devroye  interned 
in  the  military  prison  at  Malines. 

At  the  time  the  doctor  was  drawing  up  his  report,  an 
officer  of  the  "Kreisamt"  visited  the  cell  in  which  Father 
Devroye  was  lodged. 

The  cell  is  3.20  meters  long,  1.95  meters  broad  and  4 
meters  high.  The  walls  are  whitewashed  with  lime.  Father 
Devroye  is  not  obliged  to  sleep,  as  has  been  said,  on  straw 
placed  immediately  on  the  floor,  but  he  has  at  his  disposal 
a  camp  bedstead  furnished  with  a  straw  mattress.  He  has 
only  slept  one  night  on  this  mattress.  The  day  following 
his  arrival  at  the  prison,  the  7th  instant,  he  received  a  hair 
mattress  which  he  uses  still.  A  sufficient  number  of  clean 
woolen  blankets  have  been  given  him,  as  is  proved  by  the 
fact  that  he  has  sent  one  back. 

The  warming  of  the  cell  is  secured  by  a  stove  placed 
in  the  corridor  of  the  prison.  At  the  time  of  the  visit  to  the 
prisoner  the  temperature  there  was  sufficient.  A  warmer 
cell  nearer  to  the  stove  was  offered  to  Father  Devroye. 
He  refused  it,  saying  that  his  was  sufficiently  heated.  The 
lighting  at  night  comes  from  a  lamp  attached  to  the  wall. 

The  inquiry  has  proved  that  Father  Devroye  is  treated 
with  the  deference  due  to  his  rank.  The  head  of  the  local 
military  police  asked  him  whether  there  was  anything  he 
wanted  done.    The  father  answered  that  he  was  content, 


i6o   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


had  no  complaints  to  make  about  the  food  and  was  satisfied 
with  his  state  of  health.  That  his  health  is  excellent  is 
proved  by  the  fact  that  during  his  interview  with  the  Car- 
dinal he  remained  standing  for  three-quarters  of  an  hour 
before  an  open  window,  and  on  a  remark  being  made  about 
this,  he  said  he  was  well  and  had  no  need  for  a  scarf. 

I  would  also  remark  that  the  prison  where  those  de- 
tained on  suspicion  are  confined  formerly  served  as  a  jail  for 
Belgian  soldiers.  The  fitting  up  of  the  cells  dates  only  a 
few  years  back.    It  answers  to  all  hygienic  requirements. 

(Signed)  Jochmus, 
#  Colonel  and  Kreischef. 

The  medical  bulletin  signed  by  Doctor  Groos  affirmed 
that  Father  Devroye  was  in  good  health  and  capable  of 
enduring  prison  life. 

This  report  of  the  Kreischef  s  is  just  as  inaccurate  as 
that  which  the  Governor  General  sent  previously  about  the 
conditions  under  which  Father  Van  Nylen  was  interned. 

The  Cardinal  was  authorized  to  visit  Father  Devroye. 
They  were  ashamed  to  take  him  to  the  prisoner's  cell,  as 
had  nevertheless  been  done  a  few  days  previously  for  Father 
Thibaut,  provincial  of  the  Society  of  Jesus.  The  interview 
took  place  in  a  hall  of  the  barracks  which  served  as  a 
chapel.  Father  Devroye  did  not  remain  standing  for  three- 
quarters  oftan  hour  before  an  open  window,  as  the  Kreischef 
asserted;  but  the  prisoner  and  his  visitor  sat  on  a  common 
bench  without  a  back  which  happened  to  be  near  at  hand. 

Far  from  refusing  a  scarf,  Father  Devroye  accepted 
eagerly  everything  that  could  protect  him  from  the  cold, 
for  the  fire  in  the  corridor  only  served  to  warm  the  sentry. 

It  is  ironical  to  say  that  the  father  sent  back  a  blanket 
because  he  had  too  many.  The  Kreischef,  no  doubt,  means 
the  filthy  rag  which  the  father  was  obliged  to  make  the  best 
of  for  the  first  night  and  which  was  replaced  subsequently 
with  blankets  sent  to  him  from  the  residency. 

As  regards  the  lamp,  it  never  existed  save  in  the  imagina- 
tion of  the  Kreischef.  Father  Devroye  had  to  find  the  light 
himself  with  a  few  candles  he  had  managed  to  procure. 


RELIGIOUS  AWAITING  TRIAL  161 


The  walls  of  the  cell,  says  the  report,  were  whitewashed 
with  lime.  It  would  have  been  more  exact  to  say  that  they 
"had  been  whitewashed  with  lime,"  for  the  white  color  was 
entirely  hidden  by  dust  and  spiders'  webs. 

The  Cardinal,  in  acknowledging  the  report,  set  it  down 
at  its  true  value: 

Archbishop' s  House,  M  alines, 

November  nth,  1915. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — Yesterday  afternoon  I  received  the  letter  dated 
November  10th  in  which  your  Excellency  tries  to  reassure 
me  about  the  health  of  Father  Devroye  and  the  conditions 
under  which  he  is  imprisoned. 

The  Kreischef  Jochmus's  report,  inclosed  with  your  Ex- 
cellency's letter,  contains  several  points  which  call  for  re- 
mark. I  noted  at  the  first  time  of  reading  certain  inac- 
curacies on  which  I  have  on  other  occasions  passed  com- 
ment. 

Would  your  Excellency  like  a  specimen? 

It  is  said  that  during  our  interview,  lasting  three-quar- 
ters of  an  hour,  which  your  Excellency  was  kind  enough  to 
grant  me  with  Father  Devroye,  the  latter  was  standing  in 
front  of  an  open  window:  "class  er  bei  mit  dem  Kardinal 
gefuehrten  Unterredung  Std.  lang  am  offenen  Fenster 
gestanden  hat"  (during  his  interview  with  the  Cardinal,  he 
remained  standing  for  three-quarters  hour  before  an  open 
window) . 

In  this  case,  at  all  events,  I  can  speak  from  personal 
knowledge.  During  that  three-quarters  of  an  hour  Father 
Devroye  was  seated  on  my  left  in  a  closed  room. 

Father  Van  Duerm,  who  accompanied  me  on  this  visit, 
is  ready  to  confirm  my  statement. 

The  room  where  we  held  our  meeting  was  that  in  which 
the  father  had  been  able  to  say  mass  that  morning.  The 
windows  of  this  room  look  on  to  a  public  square,  and  we 
were  able  as  we  went  in  and  out  to  perceive  five  or  six  sol- 
diers conversing  together. 


i62    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Is  it  for  a  moment  to  be  admitted  that  in  an  intimate 
conversation  with  a  relative  and  a  friend  we  should  have 
exchanged  confidences  near  an  open  window  within  earshot 
of  an  undiscerning  and  profane  audience? 

I  thank  your  Excellency  for  the  relaxation  you  have 
granted  in  the  treatment  of  Fathers  Devroye  and  Mertens 
and  beg  you  to  accept  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

After  the  condemnation  of  Fathers  Devroye  and  Van 
Nylen,  von  Bissing  told  his  Eminence  that  he  could  not 
make  use  of  his  right  of  reprieve  in  the  case  of  Father 
Van  Nylen,  but  that  he  granted  to  Father  Devroye  a  partial 
reprieve  : 

Governor  General's  Office,  Brussels, 
Hlb.  T.  L.  No.  7465.  November  iph,  19 15. 

To   His    Eminence    Cardinal    Mercier,    Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

As  regards  the  sentences  passed  in  due  legal  manner  on 
Father  Rector  Devroye  and  Father  Van  Nylen,  I  have  the 
honor  to  communicate  the  following: 

Father  Devroye  has  been  sentenced  in  the  first  place  to 
a  year's  imprisonment  for  having  abetted  the  escape  from 
Belgium,  without  the  necessary  authorization,  of  a  young 
Belgian,  George  Wahis,  aged  seventeen,  and,  secondly,  to 
three  months'  imprisonment  for  having,  as  director  of  an 
educational  establishment,  organized  in  his  classes  during 
the  occupation  anti-German  propaganda.  Considering,  how- 
ever, that  in  the  Wahis  affair  the  accusation  was  grounded 
on  the  assertions  of  a  young  man,  and  that  the  latter,  in 
the  course  of  the  various  judicial  examinations  he  had  to 
undergo,  made  statements  somewhat  vague  and  of  a  contra- 
dictory character,  and  that  in  consequence  the  guilt  of  Father 
Devroye  cannot  be  proved  with  any  certitude,  I  agree  on 
this  ground  to  remit  the  penalty  to  which  the  accused  has 
been  sentenced.  On  the  other  hand,  it  has  been  proved  be- 
yond doubt  that  Father  Devroye  organized  in  the  educa- 
tional establishment  confided  to  his  care  anti-German  propa- 


RELIGIOUS  AWAITING  TRIAL  163 


ganda.*  Similar  acts  within  the  reach  of  a  professor  who 
can  exercise  influence  over  youths  appear  to  me  altogether 
of  a  nature  to  favor  the  spread  of  views  which,  in  the  inter- 
ests of  the  defense  of  the  realm,  cannot  be  tolerated  in 
occupied  territory.  To  my  great  regret,  I  cannot  alter  the 
penalty  inflicted  on  Father  Devroye  under  this  head. 

Again,  as  regards  Father  Van  Nylen,  the  facts  of  which 
he  is  accused  were  fully  established  during  the  trial  and  his 
guilt  proved  to  a  certainty.  I  am  sorry  not  to  have  been 
able  up  to  now  to  make  use  of  my  right  of  granting  him 
a  reprieve. 

Your  devoted  servant, 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Major  General  and  Governor  General. 

The  Cardinal  thanked  von  Bissing  as  follows  : 

Archbishop*  s  House,  M  alines, 

November  ijthy  19 15. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — The  letter  with  which  your  Excellency  has  honored 
me  dated  November  13th  brings  me  the  news  that  Father 
Devroye  has  been  granted  a  partial  reprieve.  I  am  glad 
of  this  good  news  and  am  deeply  grateful  to  your  Excel- 
lency for  it. 

At  the  end  of  your  letter,  your  Excellency  says  that 
you  have  not  as  yet  been  able  to  make  use  of  your  preroga- 
tive in  favor  of  Father  Van  Nylen.  The  remark  "not  as 
yet"  leaves  room  for  hope. 

Please  accept,  sir,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  Cardinal  had  already  intervened  in  favor  of  Father 
Mertens,  S.  J.,  arrested  on  the  charge  of  having  abetted 

*  Note — The  pretext  for  bringing  this  accusation  against  Fr.  Devroye 
was  that  the  German  detectives,  during  their  official  visit  of  the  premises 
of  St.  Michael's  College,  came  upon  some  exercises  done  by  the  pupils, 
which  they  had  illustrated  with  French  and  English  flags. 


i64   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Belgians  of  military  age  in  passing  the  frontier.  Von  Biss- 
ing,  according  to  the  promise  he  made  in  his  letter  of 
November  ioth,  communicated  to  his  Eminence  the  report 
of  Luebbert,  Kreischef  of  Louvain,  on  the  conditions  of  the 
said  prisoner's  internment: 

Government  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 
P.N.  21726.  November  24/ft,  1915. 

To    His   Eminence    Cardinal    Mercier,    Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

I  have  the  honor  to  send  your  Eminence  herewith  a  copy 
of  the  Kreischef  of  Louvain's  report  regarding  the  condi- 
tion of  Father  Mertens's  internment,  who  is  detained  on 
suspicion  in  the  prison  of  this  town.  I  am  also  sending 
you  under  the  same  cover  a  copy  of  the  result  of  a  medical 
examination  of  his  state  of  health. 

At  the  same  time,  I  take  the  liberty  of  informing  you 
that  I  have  drawn  up  the  scheme  of  an  order  whose  pur- 
pose is  to  secure  for  priests  detained  on  suspicion  conditions 
consonant  with  their  rank.  Nevertheless,  I  would  observe 
that  in  small  places  we  often  lack  for  prisoners  awaiting 
trial  such  suitable  quarters  as  I  certainly  desire  and  as  I  shall 
do  my  best  to  secure. 

I  should  be  exceedingly  glad  if  in  future  I  were  spared 
the  duty  of  having  to  arrest  priests  on  the  charge  of  hav- 
ing infringed  existing  laws  and  my  decrees. 

I  offer  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem  and  have  the  honor  to  be  your  devoted  servant. 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Major  General. 

Copy  of  the  Kreischef  of  Louvain's  report  inclosed  with 
the  preceding  letter: 

notice 

Kreisamt  of  Louvain, 
Louvain,  gth  November,  19 15. 
The  priest  Mertens  has  been  arrested  at  the  request  of 
the  criminal  police  and  is  detained  on  suspicion  since  the 


RELIGIOUS  AWAITING  TRIAL  165 


3rd  instant  in  a  dungeon  at  the  infantry  barracks.  He  is 
under  grave  suspicion  of  having  obtained  recruits  for  the 
enemy  army  among  Belgians  of  military  age. 

He  is  lodged  in  a  cell  that  no  one  can  complain  of.  He 
has  a  woolen  mattress,  blankets  and  a  pillow.  He  enjoys 
all  the  liberty  allowed  prisoners  awaiting  trial.  He  has 
leave  to  order  his  own  meals,  to  read  and  to  write  ;  he  may 
walk  in  the  yard  for  an  hour  in  the  morning  and  an  hour 
in  the  afternoon;  his  cell  is  lighted,  and  he  has  a  table 
and  a  chair  at  his  disposal. 

To  my  question  whether  he  had  any  complaints  to  make 
or  whether  he  was  ill,  he  answered  me  "No."  He  has  never 
complained  of  ill-usage. 

The  medical  certificate  regarding  Father  Mertens's  state 
of  health  is  inclosed  with  this  letter. 

(Signed)  Luebbert, 

Colonel  and  Kreischef. 

The  medical  certificate  testified  that  Father  Mertens's 
health  was  good  enough  to  allow  him  to  undergo  prison 
regime. 

The  report  signed  by  the  Kreischef  from  the  point  of 
view  of  inaccuracy  yields  in  nothing  to  the  report  addressed 
to  the  Governor  General  by  the  Kreischef  of  Malines  and 
which  we  have  treated  of  above. 

The  cell,  "which  no  one  could  complain  of,"  as  Father 
Mertens  tells  us,  was  in  reality  a  dungeon  reserved  for 
drunkards  and  insubordinate  soldiers.  A  Belgian  soldier 
could  not  lodge  there  for  more  than  three  days  without 
special  permission  from  superior  authority.  Father  Mer- 
tens stayed  there  thirty  days.  The  dungeon  had  become  a 
veritable  dog-hole.  It  reeked  with  a  nauseous  smell,  and 
the  floor  was  so  dirty  that  it  was  impossible  to  make  out 
the  color  of  the  flags.  No  means  of  heating;  no  windows, 
not  even  bull's-eyes.  The  air  and  light  only  penetrated  this 
hovel  through  cracks  in  the  ceilings  made  of  iron  beams. 

The  so-called  woolen  mattress  was  a  finger's  breadth  in 
thickness  and  as  hard  as  the  plank  on  which  it  rested.  For 
covering  a  filthy,  stained  rag;  for  pillow  a  beam.  For 


1 66   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


nourishment  the  prisoner  received  three  times  a  day  some 
bad  bread  and  a  kind  of  black  broth  as  little  appetizing  as 
possible. 

Luebbert,  the  Kreischef,  paid  a  visit  to  Father  Mer- 
tens.  He  was  indignant  at  the  way  the  prisoner  was  treated, 
saying  that  it  was  not  right  to  subject  a  priest  to  so  humiliat- 
ing a  regime.  He  allowed  a  pillow  to  be  brought  him,  a 
traveling  rug  and  to  receive  regularly  the  food  supplied  by 
the  College  of  Louvain.  Luebbert  always  showed  himself 
well  disposed  toward  Father  Mertens.  He  was,  more- 
over, according  to  all  the  Belgians  who  had  any  dealings 
with  him,  a  just  and  a  loyal  man.  For  this  reason  Father 
Mertens  thinks  that  the  report  addressed  to  the  Governor 
General  was  drawn  up  by  the  police  and  that  the  Kreischef 
must  have  signed  it  without  even  taking  the  trouble  to  read 
it. 

The  Cardinal,  always  hoping  that  the  good  intentions 
which  von  Bissing  seemed  to  show  would  end  by  having 
some  good  effect,  thanked  him  for  the  steps  he  had  taken 
to  better  the  treatment  of  priests  detained  in  prison: 

Archbishop' s  House,  M  alines, 

November  iSth,  1915. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  your  Excellency's 
letter  No.  21726  concerning  Father  Mertens's  detention. 

I  am  particularly  obliged  to  your  Excellency  for  the 
arrangements  you  have  ordered  to  be  made  so  that  ecclesias- 
tics imprisoned  under  suspicion  may  receive  the  treatment 
due  to  their  dignity.  May  I  express  the  wish  that  all  per- 
sons under  suspicion,  lay  as  well  as  ecclesiastic,  should  reap 
the  benefit  of  your  good  will?  From  the  judicial  stand- 
point, indeed,  the  situation  is  exactly  the  same.  They  have 
not  been  found  guilty  and  therefore  should  not  be  treated 
as  such. 

Accept,  sir,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 
(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 


RELIGIOUS  AWAITING  TRIAL  167 


Archbishop's  House,  Matines, 

December  gth,  19 1 5. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — I  thank  your  Excellency  with  all  my  heart  for  the 
promise  you  made  me  in  your  letter  of  December  4th — No. 
22489* — that  in  future  imprisoned  priests  either  awaiting 
their  trial  or  actually  interned  shall  be  treated  as  becomes 
their  dignity. 

If  I  have  pressed  your  Excellency  to  obtain  for  laymen 
also  during  the  period  of  investigation  prior  to  their  trial 
the  benefit  of  a  milder  regime,  it  is  not  because  I  want  to 
enter  upon  a  discussion  of  this  matter  with  your  Excellency, 
but  simply  for  the  reason  that  equity  and  charity  urge  me 
to  make  an  appeal  to  the  prerogative,  which  I  should  like 
to  share  with  your  Excellency,  of  being  able  to  alleviate 
my  brethren's  sufferings. 

Accept,  my  dear  Governor  General,  the  expression  of 
my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

*Note — This  letter  was  never  found. 


CHAPTER  XIX 


SERMONS  PREACHED  BY  THE  CLERGY 

In  his  interview  with  the  Cardinal  concerning  the  pas- 
toral "An  Appeal  to  Prayer,"  Baron  von  der  Lancken  had 
already  complained  in  the  Governor  General's  name  of  the 
abuse  which,  according  to  him,  priests  made  of  the  liberty 
of  speech  granted  them.  The  Cardinal  having  asked  for 
precise  details,  the  Baron  answered  that  he  did  not  wish 
to  bring  about  a  discussion  on  this  subject,  as  he  had  not 
brought  with  him  the  documents  in  possession  of  the  General 
Government  incriminating  a  number  of  priests. 

Time  and  again  Von  Bissing  returned  to  this  subject. 
Setting  aside  the  generalities  to  which  he  had  confined  him- 
self hitherto,  he  accused  by  name  certain  priests  of  giving 
vent  in  their  sermons  to  strong  feelings  of  a  political  char- 
acter : 

Governor  General's  Office,  Brussels, 

November  6th,  1915. 
To   His   Eminence   Cardinal    Mercier,   Archbishop  of 
Malines.* 

In  consequence  of  verbal  representations  made  recently 
by  the  head  of  the  political  department,  I  take  the  liberty 
to  point  out  to  your  Eminence  that  priests  continue,  when 
preaching,  to  abuse  the  liberty  given  them  as  ministers  of 
worship.  Among  the  numerous  cases  which  have  been 
brought  to  my  notice  I  will  only  put  forward  the  follow- 
ing: 

At  the  Lourdes  grotto,  at  Laeken,  preachers  are  con- 
tinually uttering  political  manifestoes.    On  October  14th 

♦Note — The  original  of  this  letter  has  not  been  found.  There  only  exists 
one  translation  of  it  in  the  archives  of  the  Archbishop's  house. 

168 


SERMONS  BY  THE  CLERGY  169 


one  of  them  went  so  far  as  to  touch  openly  and  directly 
on  the  recruiting  of  the  Belgian  army.  His  words  must 
have  been  understood  by  young  Belgians  as  an  invitation 
to  disobey  my  orders,  about  the  sense  of  which  there  could 
be  no  doubt.  The  preacher  gave  it  out  as  certain  that  12. 
per  cent  only  of  the  Brussels  people  fit  for  military  service 
had  rejoined  the  army,  while  80  per  cent  of  the  province 
had  passed  over  the  frontier  and  had  enlisted.  The  preacher 
knew  what  he  was  doing,  for  he  knew  of  young  people  who 
had  been  punished  for  violating  my  decrees. 

As  I  have  declared  several  times  to  your  Eminence,  I 
think  that  the  guilt  of  these  priests  deserves  some  extenua- 
tion from  the  fact  that  they  feel  themselves  encouraged 
by  the  formal  or  tacit  consent  of  their  ecclesiastical  superiors. 
Nevertheless,  I  shall  be  forced  to  make  the  preacher  of  the 
Laeken  sermon  responsible  if  a  stop  is  not  put  to  those 
inconsiderate  proceedings  in  some  other  way.  Consequently, 
I  beg  your  Eminence  to  let  me  know  whether  I  may  count 
on  some  disciplinary  measure  being  taken  by  ecclesiastical 
authority.  I  believe  I  have  this  right.  I  have  waived  my 
claim  to  exact  from  each  member  of  the  clergy  a  declaration 
of  loyalty,  confiding  as  I  did  in  the  pledge  given  by  your 
Eminence  and  on  your  guaranteeing  the  peaceful  attitude  of 
the  clergy. 

I  offer  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem  and  have  the  honor  to  be  your  devoted  servant. 
(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Major  General. 

His  Eminence  replied  to  the  Governor  General's  remon- 
strances in  his  letter  of  November  27th. 

Government  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 
P.  A.  I.  9529.  November  10th,  1 9 1 5. 

To   His   Eminence    Cardinal   Mercier,   Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

Your  Eminence  will  not  be  surprised  if  I  raise  a  violent 
protest  against  the  sermon  which  the  Rev.  Cardyn  preached 
at  Brussels  in  St.  Gudule  on  the  occasion  of  the  service  for 


i7o   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Belgian  soldiers  killed  in  the  war.  In  the  Flemish  text 
especially,  this  sermon  shows  an  abuse  of  the  liberty  granted 
to  the  ministers  of  worship. 

As  your  Eminence  assisted  at  this  service,  I  can  dispense 
myself  from  giving  precise  details  about  the  matter  of  this 
sermon;  but  I  must  nevertheless  express  my  surprise  that 
such  language  was  used  in  your  presence.  I  venture  to 
hope  that  the  preacher  Cardyn  will  have  to  give  an  account 
of  his  action  to  the  ecclesiastical  authorities  and  that  a 
guarantee  will  be  given  me  that  such  an  abuse  will  not  be 
repeated. 

I  present  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem  and  have  the  honor  to  be  your  devoted  servant. 
(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Major  General. 

Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

November  12th,  19 15. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General 
of  Belgium. 

Sir — Your  Excellency's  dispatch,  dated  November  10th, 
No.  9529,  was  delivered  to  me  yesterday  and  I  hasten  to 
send  you  an  acknowledgment  of  it. 

It  is  no  longer  possible  for  me  to  send  for  the  Abbe 
Cardyn  at  the  Archbishop^ s  House  before  I  leave  for 
Rome,*  but  I  will  ask  my  administrator  to  act  as  an  inter- 
preter of  my  wishes  in  this  regard,  and  on  my  return  to 
Belgium  I  shall  deem  it  my  duty  to  give  him  detailed  in- 
structions. 

Accept,  your  Excellency,  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)1  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

*  Note — The  Cardinal  meant  to  go  a  few  days  later  to  Rome  whither 
he  had  just  been  called  by  His  Holiness,  Pope  Benedict  XV.  But  when 
he  discovered  that  the  passport  given  him  by  the  German  authorities  said 
nothing  about  his  return,  he  put  off  his  journey  and  before  answering  the 
call  of  the  Holy  Father  he  desired  to  secure  guaranties  that  would  allow 
him  to  return  to  Belgium  with  as  much  ease  as  he  had  been  allowed  to  leave 
it.    He  did  not  start  for  Rome  till  January  12,  1916. 


SERMONS  BY  THE  CLERGY  171 

Archbishop' s  House,  Matines, 

November  27th,  19 15. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — I  have  just  this  moment  received  your  Excellency's 
dispatch,  No.  9742,  dated  November  24th,  and  I  hasten  to 
answer  it.* 

I  have  made  inquiries  about  the  sermon  preached  at  the 
Lourdes  Grotto  at  Jette  St.  Pierre  on  October  14th.  The 
preacher  inveighed  against  the  frivolous  spirit  which  draws 
to  the  cinema  and  worldly  pleasures  young  men  whose  right 
place  was  elsewhere,  viz.,  at  the  service  of  their  country. 
He  did,  in  fact,  at  this  part  of  his  sermon  give  some  statis- 
tics. He  said  that  at  the  time  of  the  enrollment  of  volun- 
teers in  our  army  12  per  cent  of  the  young  men  of  Brussels 
had  enlisted,  while  there  were  80  per  cent  who  came  from 
the  country.  The  very  precision  of  the  figures  shows  that 
the  orator  had  in  view  the  enrollment  of  young  men  before 
the  German  occupation,  for  on  what  source  would  he  have 
relied  for  giving  figures  of  recruiting  at  the  present  time? 

I  will  look  into  the  case  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Swalus,  al- 
though the  accusation  brought  against  him  by  your  Excel- 
lency is  exceedingly  vague;  also  the  case  of  the  Rev.  Wit- 
temberg. 

But  I  am  now  in  a  position  to  assert  that  the  Vicaire 
Mussche  did  not  preach  in  the  church  in  the  Chaussée  de 
Waterloo  on  October  24th  and  that  there  is  no  such  priest 
as  Carpentier  attached  to  that  church. 

Accept,  dear  Governor  General,  the  assurance  of  my  sin- 
cere esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

♦Note— This  dispatch  has  not  been  found.  As  can  be  gathered  from 
the  Cardinal's  letter  of  December  3rd,  the  Governor  General  came  back 
on  the  complaints  which  he  had  already  stated  in  his  dispatches  of  Novem- 
ber 6th  and  10th  and  brought  up  fresh  accusations  against  the  Reverends 
Swalus,  Carpentier,  Mussche  and  Wittemberg. 


172    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

December  3rd,  19 15. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — I  am  now  in  a  position  to  complete  the  information 
I  had  the  honor  of  addressing  your  Excellency  on  November 
27th  in  answer  to  your  letter,  No.  9742,  dated  November 
24th. 

In  that  letter  your  Excellency  mentioned  the  sermons 
preached  on  October  14th  by  the  Rev.  Swalus  at  Laeken 
(Jette  St.  Pierre),  and  by  the  Rev.  Cardyn  at  Ste.  Gudule 
on  November  8th.  You  there  censured  the  sermons 
preached  October  31st  by  the  Cure  Swalus  at  Laeken  and 
October  24th  by  the  Revs.  Carpentier  and  Mussche  in  the 
Church  of  Ste.  Alice  at  Schaerbeek. 

The  explanations  I  had  the  honor  to  give  your  Excel- 
lency in  my  letter  of  November  27th  regarding  the  sermon 
of  October  24th  ought  to  have  satisfied  your  Excellency; 
this  same  letter  put  the  case  of  the  Revs.  Carpentier  and 
Mussche  out  of  question,  as  they  did  not  preach  on  October 
24th. 

There  remain  the  cases  of  the  Rev.  Swalus  (October 
31st),  the  Rev.  Cardyn  (November  8th)  and  the  Rev.  Wit- 
temberg. 

The  Cure  Swalus,  whom  I  questioned  yesterday  at 
Brussels,  tells  me  that  he  has  been  summoned  several  times 
to  the  Kommandantur  during  the  last  few  days  and  that 
he  has  in  vain  demanded  to  be  brought  face  to  face  with 
his  accusers.  He  wished  the  grievances  articled  against  him 
to  be  drawn  up  in  detail,  in  order  that  he  might  give  a 
straightforward  explanation.  He  was  answered  that  his 
accusers  are  no  longer  here.  In  reality,  it  was  not  he,  but 
Pere  Melet  who  preached  on  October  31st  in  the  Church  of 
the  Chaussée  de  Waterloo.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  Rev. 
Father's  sermon  had  for  its  sole  subject  a  theme  which  was 
as  far  removed  as  it  could  be  from  our  earthly  conflicts,  viz., 
"The  Beatific  Vision."  Not  one  word  passed  the  lips  of 
the  Rev.  Father  which  could  give  offense  to  the  most  sus- 
ceptible of  his  hearers.    As  a  guarantee  of  this  statement 


SERMONS  BY  THE  CLERGY  173 


I  have  several  witnesses  altogether  worthy  of  belief,  who 
were  present  at  the  sermon  and  were  capable  of  thoroughly 
understanding  it. 

It  is  less  easy  to  answer  the  scruples  of  your  Excel- 
lency about  the  preaching  of  the  Revs.  Cardyn  and  Wittem- 
berg,  because  neither  your  dispatch  of  the  6th  nor  that  of 
the  24th  brings  forward  any  definite  complaint. 

The  dispatch  of  November  4th  says  that  some  Catholics, 
offended  in  their  religious  sentiments  by  a  sermon  of  the 
Vicaire  Wittemberg  at  Ste.  Alice,  left  the  church  before  the 
end  of  the  sermon.  I  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  Mr. 
Wittemberg  but  was  unable  to  get  at  the  bottom  of  the  mat- 
ter for  want  of  anything  definite  which  the  German  au- 
thorities think  they  can  bring  against  him.  If  these  Cath- 
olics hesitate,  which  I  can  understand,  to  tell  a  lay  power 
what  it  was  that  troubled  their  conscience,  would  they  be 
unwilling  to  come  forward  and  confide  it  to  their  bishop  ? 

They  know  that  they  have  no  reprisals  to  fear  on  our 
part  and  that  we  have  no  interest  in  abusing  their  confi- 
dence. 

As  regards  the  sermon  of  November  8th  at  Ste.  Gudule, 
I  believe  I  can  put  my  finger  on  what  gave  your  Excellency 
cause  for  anxiety.  A  German  of  high  standing  said  to  a 
trustworthy  person,  who  repeated  it  to  me,  that  the  Abbe 
Cardyn  had  compared  Germany  to  a  prostitute.  As  a  mat- 
ter of  fact,  this  person  was  led  into  error  by  a  spy  who 
heard  the  word  ''prostitution/'  and  applied  it  in  a  distorted 
sense.  I  heard  the  preacher  myself.  He  denounced  a  few 
wretched  wights  who,  instead  of  joining  in  the  general 
mourning  of  the  country,  unmindful  of  their  brothers,  father 
or  husband  fighting  for  them,  hand  themselves  over  shame- 
fully to  the  enemy. 

I  do  not  wish  to  end  this  letter  without  thanking  your 
Excellency  for  being  so  good  as  to  accede  to  my  desire,  ex- 
pressed at  sundry  times,  of  seeing  myself  intrusted  with 
the  control  of  priests  suspected  of  having  lacked  in  respect 
for  the  dignity  of  their  ministry. 


174    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Accept,  dear  Governor  General,  the  expression  of  my 
sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Archbishop's  House,  Matines, 

December  nth,  191 5. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — I  do  not  know  whether  your  Excellency  thinks  your 
letter  No.  10182  still  requires  an  answer  from  me.* 

As  far  as  I  am  concerned,  I  have  only  one  word  to  add, 
by  way  of  conclusion,  to  my  preceding  letters. 

Your  Excellency  has  written  me  that  I  have  passed  over 
in  silence  the  Abbe  Cardyn's  sermon  at  Ste.  Gudule.  If  your 
Excellency  will  take  the  trouble  to  reread  my  last  letter,  you 
will  discover  your  error.  The  only  objection  which  the  Ger- 
man authorities  have,  to  my  knowledge,  brought  forward 
against  this  sermon  is  grounded  on  an  equivocation  which  I 
have  laid  bare. 

I  have  summoned  the  priests  whose  names  were  men- 
tioned in  your  Excellency's  letter;  I  have  listened  to  their 
versions,  and  I  have  let  them  know  what  my  views  were, 
and  consequently  what  their  own  views  must  be  about  their 
ministry.  I  pledge  myself,  therefore,  for  the  correctness 
of  their  behavior:  "Burgschaft  fur  korrektes  Verhalten  der 
Geistlichkeit"  (Surely  guarantee  for  the  behavior  of  the 
clergy) . 

Your  Excellency  can  rest  assured  that  the  clergy  is  not 
inciting  the  people  to  sedition.  One  year's  experience  must 
have  convinced  you  that  not  one  of  the  ugly  prophecies  put 
forward  so  often  by  those  round  you  has  been  realized. 
Since  the  time  our  provinces  have  been  occupied  is  there  a 
single  Belgian  who  has  played  a  low  trick  on  a  German 
soldier? 

Belgian  folk  are  steadfast,  but  self-respecting  in  their 
patriotism,  and  the  Belgian  clergy  is  no  stranger  to  this  calm 
and  noble  attitude. 

*  This  letter  has  not  been  found. 


SERMONS  BY  THE  CLERGY  175 


Accept,  dear  Governor  General,  the  expression  of  my 
sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Government  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 
P.  A.  I.  No.  10637.  December  15th,  191 5. 

To   His   Eminence    Cardinal   Mercier,   Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

Your  Eminence's  esteemed  letter  of  December  3rd 
crossed  that  which  I  sent  you  the  following  day.  I  have 
duly  received  your  correspondence  of  the  nth.  I  have  no 
intention  to  enter  into  detailed  discussions  of  the  sermons 
censured,  though,  e.  g.,  in  the  summing  up  of  Cardyn's  case 
I  cannot  altogether  see  eye  to  eye  with  your  Eminence.  I 
insist  above  all  on  putting  an  end  to  all  future  abuses  of 
liberty  of  worship. 

It  was  a  pleasure  to  me  to  hear  that  your  Eminence  sent 
instructions  in  this  sense  to  certain  ecclesiastics  and  that  you 
pledge  your  word  anew  for  the  behavior  of  all  the  clergy. 
I  rejoice  thereat  and  hope  that  in  this  way  priests  will  for; 
the  future  confine  themselves  within  the  bounds  of  their 
religious  mission,  without  my  having  to  take  steps,  which, 
in  the  interest  of  the  Church,  I  would  rather  avoid. 

At  the  same  time,  I  deem  it  my  duty  to  make  some 
observations  on  some  of  the  propositions  which  have  es- 
caped your  Eminence.  I  cannot  share  your  way  of  think- 
ing when  you  assert  that  the  behavior  adopted  hitherto  by 
the  clergy  during  the  occupation  is  not  fraught  with  any 
danger.  If  during  the  year  that  has  elapsed  we  have  had 
no  trouble  to  deplore,  that  does  not  mean  that  I  must  not  be 
very  wary  about  the  future. 

I  am  answerable  for  the  tranquillity  of  the  country  and 
to  uphold  it  I  have  at  my  disposal  measures  adapted  to 
meet  all  emergencies.  But  I  count  especially  on  preventive 
measures.  I  wish  to  avoid  new  trials  for  the  population, 
which  might  be  caused  by  the  passion  or  foolishness 
of  a  few.  As  matters  stand,  provocative  sermons 
are  having  an  evil  influence,  for  they  are  awakening  among 


176    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


their  hearers  consequences  outside  the  churches,  especially 
in  times  of  military  and  political  stress,  as  was  the  case 
about  the  time  of  last  Michaelmas.  This  opinion,  which 
I  have  held  from  the  beginning  of  my  entry  into  office,  is 
shared  by  a  number  of  witnesses  to  whom  your  Eminence 
can  hardly  take  exception.  The  excerpts  from  a  Brussels 
newspaper,  the  "Vingtième  Siècle,"  which  I  inclose  with  my 
letter  show  clearly  that  even  prudent  addresses  by  preachers 
can  be  understood  by  the  faithful  as  incitements  to  effective 
revolt.  Such  manifestoes,  were  they  tolerated,  would  by 
the  very  nature  of  things  end  by  creating  little  by  little 
a  permanent  danger. 

From  another  point  of  view,  also,  these  sermons  which 
I  cannot  tolerate  exercise  a  more  inciting  influence  than 
your  Eminence  appears  to  think. 

The  people  believe  that  these  verbal  excesses  issuing 
from  the  eminence  of  the  pulpit  have  the  sanction  of  eccle- 
siastical authority  behind  them. 

Thus  Catholics  who  have  in  my  offices  expressed  their 
disapproval  of  the  theme  of  several  sermons  have  said 
explicitly  that  they  did  not  expect  that,  after  your  Eminence's 
pastoral  letter,  there  would  be  any  intervention  on  the  part 
of  ecclesiastical  authorities. 

In  the  report  quoted  from  the  "Vingtième  Siècle"  the 
same  thought  comes  to  the  surface.  The  pastoral  letter  of 
last  Christmas  appears  to  embody  a  program  and  to  act  as 
an  encouragement  to  the  faint-hearted.  I  venture  to  think 
that  this  straightforward  language  has  cleared  up  the  situa- 
tion, and  I  have  a  right  to  hope  that  the  country  which  I 
have  administered  since  the  time  of  the  war  and  on  which 
I  have  not  ceased  to  bestow  my  utmost  care  will  enjoy  tran- 
quillity for  its  own  greater  advantage. 

Accept,  your  Eminence,  the  wishes  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Lieutenant  General. 

The  following  extracts  of  a  correspondence  from  Brus- 
sels in  the  "Vingtième  Siècle"  of  December  2d,  19 15,  were 
inclosed  with  the  preceding  letter  : 


SERMONS  BY  THE  CLERGY  177 


How  the  Belgian  people  gave  expression  to  their  re- 
ligious feelings. 

IMPRESSIVE  DEMONSTRATIONS  IN  THE  CHURCHES 

For  the  house  of  God  is  the  only  place  where  one  is  still 
allowed  to  publicly  proclaim  the  ardor  of  one's  feelings  as 
a  citizen,  where  the  national  colors  float  freely,  exposed  to 
every  eye,  where  resound,  sustained  by  the  peals  of  the 
organ,  the  hymns  dear  to  our  patriotic  hearts,  where  from 
the  pulpit  words — noble  and  manly — are  heard,  by  which 
our  energies  are  fed  and  nourished. 

The  Belgian  clergy,  regular  and  secular,  is  equal  to  its 
task  in  these  days  of  public  mourning.  The  example  given 
to  them  by  the  head  of  the  episcopate  and  the  program  he 
has  drawn  up  for  them  in  the  famous  pastoral  letter  have 
stimulated  the  zeal  of  the  most  faint-hearted. 

THE  PATRIOTIC  APOSTOLATE  OF  PREACHERS 

.  .  .  There  are  times  .  .  .  when  the  public,  spell- 
bound and  electrified  by  the  proud  words  emanating 
from  the  pulpit,  feels  an  irresistible  desire  to  give  full  vent 
to  the  surging  emotions  by  which  they  are  agitated.  They 
forget  the  majesty  of  the  place  and  abandon  themselves  to 
the  joy  of  breaking  forth  into  raptures  of  delight. 

On  the  evening  of  All  Souls'  Day  in  a  Brussels  church, 
where  hundreds  of  spectators  were  squatting  even  on  the 
steps  of  the  altar,  the  advertised  preacher,  who  wore  the 
gown  of  the  disciples  of  St.  Dominic,  gave  out  to  his  audi- 
ence, with  a  bluntness  excusable  under  the  circumstances, 
that  they  must  restrain  themselves  from  any  demonstra- 
tion out  of  place  in  such  a  spot.  .  .  .  The  orator  had  taken 
as  a  theme  for  his  sermon,  "Patriotism."  He  spoke  of  the 
war,  the  country,  its  glories  past,  present  and  future,  with  an 
enthusiasm  and  an  earnestness  calculated  to  send  a  thrill 
through  every  one.  His  language  was  quivering,  clear  and 
inflamed.    One  felt  that  he  was  inspired  with  an  ardent 

Note — The  passages  printed  in  italic  type  were  underlined  by  von 
Bissing. 


i78    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


conviction  which  he  was  desirous  of  sharing  with  others. 
His  eloquence  set  forth  in  bold  relief  the  heroic  deeds  he 
called  to  mind,  as  well  as  memories  from  the  past,  put  to- 
gether in  such  a  way  as  to  make  a  picture  which  epitomized 
these  events  in  a  striking  manner.  Moreover,  his  language 
was  so  bold  that  his  audience,  panting  for  breath,  was  really 
intoxicated  by  hearing  him  express  with  a  freedom  scorn- 
ful of  possible  reprisals,  ideas  and  sentiments  wlugh.  har- 
monized so  well  with  theirs. 

Such  harangues  have  a  salutary  effect  on  the  crowd.  We 
are  comforted,  braced  up,  electrified.  If  after  that  the 
national  anthem,  "Vers  l'Avenir,"  resounds  stentoriously 
through  the  vaulting,  sung  with  full  voices,  then  immediately 
patriotism  raises  its  head,  our  lips  quiver.  .  .  .  It  is  at  times 
like  these  that  we  do  realize  how  dear  our  country  is  to  us, 
and  what  sacrifices  we  are  prepared  to  make  to  save  her. 

The  Cardinal,  looking  upon  the  discussion  as  closed,  left 
von  Bissing's  last  letter  unanswered;  nevertheless  in  the 
appeal  which  he  addressed  to  him  before  going  to  Rome  in 
favor  of  political  prisoners,  he  corrected  the  erroneous  inter- 
pretation which  the  Governor  General  had  made  of  cer- 
tain passages  in  the  article  in  the  "Vingtième  Siècle." 


CHAPTER  XX 


GUARDING  OF  THE  TELEPHONE  LINE  AT  VILVORDE 

An  accident  had  happened  in  the  district  of  Vilvorde 
to  the  telephone  wires.  What  was  the  cause  nobody  knew. 
No  matter,  the  town  was  made  responsible  and  by  way  of 
punishment  the  magnates  of  Vilvorde  were  ordered  by  the 
German  Commandant  to  secure  the  guarding  of  the  line. 
Several  priests  and  religious  having  been  summoned  to  act 
as  sentries,  the  Cardinal  sent  von  Bissing  a  letter  of  pro- 
test: 

Archbishop's  House,  Matines, 

December  18  th,  191 5. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — The  Kreischef  has  passed  the  order  to  the  com- 
mercial authorities  of  Vilvorde  to  have  the  telephone  lines 
guarded  by  the  magnates  of  the  commune. 

In  his  proclamation  of  December  nth,  1915,  the  im- 
perial representative  himself  says  explicitly:  "It  is  doubtful 
whether  the  line  broke  down."  The  immediate  consequence 
is  that  no  "misdeed"  has  been  proved,  and  that  therefore 
there  is  no  case  for  repression. 

Nevertheless  the  claim  is  made  to  impose  on  the  paro- 
chial clergy  of  Vilvorde,  on  the  director  and  professors,  on 
the  priests  of  the  College  of  Notre  Dame,  on  the  Christian 
brothers,  the  guarding  for  twelve  consecutive  hours  of  a 
telephone  line. 

The  clergy  has  declared  their  inability  to  take  up  this 
task  and  I  have  approved  their  decision. 

I  feel  sure,  sir,  that  it  will  be  enough  to  draw  your  kind 
attention  to  this  incident  to  have  an  end  put  to  this  persecu- 
tion and  in  anticipation  I  express  my  gratitude  to  your  Ex- 

179 


i8o   CARDINAL  MERCIERE  OWN  STORY 


cellency,  and  at  the  same  time  beg  you  to  accept  the  expres- 
sion of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  Governor  General  replied,  throwing  the  responsi- 
bility of  summoning  priests  and  clerics  on  the  communal 
authorities  : 

Government  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 

December  nd,  19 15. 
To   His   Eminence    Cardinal   Mercier,   Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

I  have  the  honor  to  inform  your  Eminence  in  reply  to 
your  letter  of  the  1 8th  inst.  that  the  appointment  of  priests 
for  guarding  the  telephone  line  of  Vilvorde  is  not  due  to 
my  administration  but  to  the  Belgian  communal  authorities. 
I  share  your  Eminence's  view  entirely  that  priests  should 
not  be  constrained  for  this  service.  I  have  given  orders 
to  my  subordinates  to  see  to  it  that  for  the  future  the 
Belgian  communal  authorities  do  not  commit  such  excesses 
in  exercising  their  power. 

I  offer  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem  and  have  the  honor  to  be  your  devoted  servant, 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Lieutenant  General. 

The  truth  of  the  matter  is  this  : 

A  vicar  of  the  town,  the  superior  of  the  Christian  broth- 
ers, and  several  reverend  professors  of  the  college  had  been 
summoned  by  the  communal  authorities  for  sentry  duty  dur- 
ing the  night.  At  this  news  the  Dean  Van  Reeth  went  at 
once  to  the  town  hall.  In  the  absence  of  the  burgomaster 
he  was  received  1^y  an  official,  who  told  him  that  the  orders 
had  been  given  by  the  Germans.  With  a  view  of  finding 
out  for  himself  the  exact  meaning  of  these  orders,  the  dean 
went  to  see  the  Commandant;  the  latter  declared  that  he 
had  indeed  given  orders  that  the  telephone  wires  should  be 
guarded  by  the  magnates  of  the  town,  but  that  he  had  not 
specified  any  particular  class  of  persons. 


TELEPHONE  LINE  AT  VILVORDE  181 


The  dean  hastened  to  write  to  the  burgomaster  the  fol- 
lowing letter  : 

Sir — I  forbid  all  priests  and  religious  of  my  district  to 
act  as  sentries  to  guard  the  telephone  line,  and  I  assume 
myself  the  responsibility  for  this  refusal  ... 

In  spite  of  the  entreaties  addressed  to  him,  the  dean  re- 
fused to  withdraw  his  prohibition.  The  communal  authori- 
ties summoned  civilians  to  take  the  place  of  the  recalcitrant 
priests  and  the  incident  was  closed. 


CHAPTER  XXI 


BEFORE  LEAVING  FOR  ROME  THE  CARDINAL  AGAIN  RECOM- 
MENDS TO  VON  BISSING  THE  MORAL  AND  RELIGIOUS 
INTERESTS  OF  THE  POLITICAL  PRISONERS 

Archbishop' s  House,  M  alines, 

January  nth,  191 6. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — At  the  time  of  leaving  Belgium,*  for  a  few  days, 
I  take  the  liberty  of  calling  your  attention  once  again  to 
the  religious  and  moral  interests  which  are  suffering  a  severe 
check  in  the  prisons  and  rooms  of  the  Kommandantur. 

Nearly  all  those  detained,  and  their  number  has  always 
been  increasing,  are  put  into  solitary  confinement  from  the 
time  of  their  arrest  and  remain  there  till  their  trial.  The 
German  authorities  have  made  it  a  rule  to  forbid  prisoners 
in  solitary  confinement  to  assist  at  religious  services.  The 
upshot  of  this  is  that  these  victims  of  the  great  misfortune 
which  Belgium  is  undergoing,  though  they  have  for  the  most 
part  done  nothing  with  which  their  conscience  reproaches 
them,  are,  in  fact,  robbed  of  all  comfort  for  their  souls  and 
exposed  to  the  dangers  of  moral  depression. 

This  kind  of  life,  sir,  is  unbearable,  and  I  shall  deem  it 
my  duty  to  notify  it  to  my  Supreme  Chief,  the  Sovereign 
Pontiff. 

The  German  authorities  have  no  valid  grounds  for  up- 
holding such  a  regime. 

In  fact,  the  arrangements  of  the  prison  are  such  that 
each  prisoner  is  in  a  different  pew,  whence  he  can  neither 
see  his  neighbor  nor  communicate  with  him.    The  war- 

*  Note — The  Cardinal  left  Belgium  for  Rome  on  January  12  and  re- 
turned  February  27. 

182 


RELIGIOUS  INTERESTS  OF  PRISONERS  183 


den,  stationed  at  the  center  of  the  semicircle,  can  see  all 
the  pews. 

Besides  this,  the  priest  who  says  the  mass  and  who 
preaches  is  a  German.  Your  Excellency  will  call  to  mind 
that,  having  in  view  the  keen  patriotic  feelings  of  the  pris- 
oners, I  had  asked  that  a  Belgian  priest  might  administer 
to  the  wants  of  religion,  in  regard  to  Belgian  prisoners, 
under  the  guardianship  of  the  German  administration,  and 
that  this  request  has  been  shelved.  The  German  chaplain 
alone  therefore  is  able  to  influence  the  prisoners  by  word 
or  deed.  For  the  last  time,  I  beg  your  Excellency  to  have 
pity  on  so  many  souls  ;  there  are  more  than  400  prisoners  at 
this  moment  untried  at  Brussels,  suffering  from  the  stunting 
of  their  moral  and  religious  instincts. 

I  beg  of  you  more  earnestly  than  ever  no  longer  to 
refuse  prisoners  and  condemned  men  facilities  for  confess- 
ing to  a  priest,  to  whom  it  is  humanly  possible  to  open 
their  minds  with  full  confidence.  They  have  gone  so  far 
as  to  refuse  a  Belgian  priest  to  men  sentenced  to  death. 
Your  Excellency,  who  has  a  pious  soul,  will  understand 
that  these  facts  rouse  the  indignation  of  a  believing  people 
and  are  for  us  pastors  a  real  torture.  Surely  at  the  mo- 
ment of  death  has  not  the  condemned  man  wishes  and  de- 
sires to  express  which  can  only  be  told  to  one  in  whom  he 
has  full  confidence  ? 

I  have  left  unanswered  till  now  the  letter  No.  10637 
which  your  Excellency  addressed  me  dated  December  15, 
19 1 5,  because  I  had  looked  upon  this  letter  as  a  conclusion 
to  a  correspondence,  already  long-drawn-out,  about  the  min- 
istry and  preaching  of  our  clergy. 

But  your  Excellency  has  inclosed  with  this  letter  an  ex- 
tract from  the  "Vingtième  Siècle,"  which  might  give  room 
for  a  misunderstanding.  Your  Excellency  underlines  in  a 
correspondence  alleged  to  have  been  sent  from  Brussels  to 
Havre  a  passage  where  it  is  said:  "The  example  which  has 
been  given  to  the  Belgian  clergy  by  the  head  of  the  episco- 
pate and  the  program  he  has  drawn  up  for  them  in  his  fa- 
mous pastoral  letter,  have  fired  the  zeal  of  the  most  faint- 
hearted."   I  conjecture  that  the  intention  of  your  Excel- 


1 84   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


lency  in  calling  my  attention  to  these  two  lines  is  to  insinuate 
that  if  unguarded  words  be  spoken  in  church  the  author  of 
the  pastoral  letter  of  November,  19 14,  would  be  respon- 
sible. 

In  the  early  days  of  January,  19 15,  I  had  the  honor  of 
writing  to  your  Excellency  that  my  letter  would  keep  up 
the  courage  of  our  people  and  would  prevent  the  seditious 
uproar  which  the  German  authorities,  in  their  alarm,  ex- 
pected. Sure  as  I  was  of  my  ground,  I  refused  to  with- 
draw my  letter  and  gave  orders  to  the  clergy  to  read  it. 
A  whole  year's  experience  must  have  proved  to  the  most 
pessimistic  minds  that  my  forecasts  were  correct  and  that 
therefore  we  ought  to  be  of  one  mind  in  wishing  to  harmon- 
ize the  regulations  and  disciplinary  measures  of  the  occupy- 
ing power  with  the  respect  due  to  the  patriotism  and  the 
national  dignity  of  the  Belgian  people.  In  substance,  this 
is  what  the  article  in  the  "Vingtième  Siècle"  means  and  in 
that  sense  I  can  only  agree  with  it. 

Kindly  accept,  sir,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 


CHAPTER  XXII 


RENEWED  COMPLAINTS  OF  BARON  VON  BISSING  CONCERNING 
THE  PREACHING  OF  THE  CLERGY 

Government  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 
P.  A.  I.  2031.  February  M)thf  1916. 

To   His   Eminence   Cardinal   Mercier,   Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

I  write  to  inform  your  Eminence  that  on  the  13th  of 
February  inst.  the  Vicar  Wittemberg,  in  the  course  of  a  ser- 
mon preached  in  the  Church  of  St.  Alice,  expressed  himself 
as  follows:  "The  German  people  is  a  lying  people.  Till 
now  the  Pope  has  only  heard  the  German  version,  now  he 
hears  the  Belgian  version.  The  Cardinal  of  Malines  was 
received  by  the  Pope  at  the  same  time  as  another  Belgian 
priest;  he  will  be  back  in  a  few  days  with  very  good  news 
for  the  Belgians.  The  Germans  will  be  made  responsible 
for  all  that  has  taken  place  in  Belgium;  the  Belgians  will 
get  a  slice  of  Germany." 

The  Vicar  Wittemberg  has  already  given  cause  for 
complaint.  Your  Eminence,  in  your  letter  of  December  3rd, 
19 1 5,  had  answered  that  you  had  not  been  able  to  carry 
through  the  investigation  you  had  begun  in  his  regard. 

I  now  beg  your  Eminence  to  tell  me  how  you  will 
call  this  priest  to  account  for  his  misbehavior,  and  what 
steps  you  are  thinking  of  taking  to  prevent  preachers  in  the 
future  from  making  in  the  pulpit  statements  which,  first, 
are  slanders  of  the  German  nation  and  therefore  of  the 
army  of  occupation;  second,  are  of  a  nature  to  disturb  and 
rouse  the  Belgian  people  to  revolt,  and,  third,  are  quite  for- 
eign to  the  preacher's  office. 

Accept,  your  Eminence,  the  wishes  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Lieutenant  General. 

1S5 


1 86   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Archbishop'  $  House,  M  alines, 

March  6,  19 16. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — Having  returned  a  few  days  ago  to  Belgium,  I 
deem  it  a  duty  to  thank  your  Excellency  with  all  sincerity 
for  the  facilities  you  granted  me  for  accomplishing  my 
journey  to  Rome.  I  could  only  congratulate  myself,  both  in 
going  and  coming  back,  on  the  courteous  attentions  which 
were  shown  me  throughout  my  journey  and  at  the  frontier. 

Your  Excellency's  dispatch  No.  2031,  February  29, 
reminds  me  that  on  the  date,  December  3rd,  I  said  I  had  not 
been  able  to  carry  through  an  investigation  which  had  then 
been  requested  of  me  about  the  sermons  of  the  Rev.  Wit- 
temberg,  vicar  of  St.  Alice.  As  a  matter  of  fact  I  did  not 
know  up  to  now  and  I  still  do  not  know  what  are  the  exact 
grievances  about  which  I  ought  to  institute  an  investiga- 
tion. But  this  time  your  Excellency  calls  my  attention  to  a 
sermon  preached  by  the  same  Mr.  Wittemberg  on  February 
13th,  and  you  give  details  of  the  theme  for  which  the  preach- 
er is  held  blameworthy.  I  forthwith  summoned  the  vicar  to 
the  archbishop's  house  and  this  is  in  substance  the  explana- 
tion he  has  given  me:  "The  gist  of  my  sermon,"  said  he, 
"was  to  comment  on  the  parable  of  the  grain  of  mustard 
seed  and  the  leaven.  I  expatiated  on  the  wondrous  growth 
of  the  church  from  its  very  beginning  and  the  transforma- 
tion effected  in  the  world  by  the  preaching  of  the  gospel. 
In  my  peroration,  I  spoke  of  the  prestige  of  the  papacy  at 
the  present  time.  All  eyes  are  turned  on  Benedict  XV. 
All  nations  vie  with  one  another  for  his  sympathy.  Till  now 
Belgium  had  had  no  opportunity  to  make  the  voice  of  her 
bishops  heard,  but  our  archbishop  and  another  member  of 
the  Belgian  hierarchy  are  in  Rome.  We  must  all  have  con- 
fidence in  them.  It  is,  of  course,  difficult  for  the  Holy 
Father  to  see  the  truth  in  the  midst  of  different  and  often 
opposite  versions,  which  come  to  him  from  every  side.  But 
let  us  be  of  good  hope;  already  there  is  a  rumor  afloat 
that  his  Holiness  has  told  the  bishop  of  Namur  that  if  he 
were  one  day  invited  to  the  peace  negotiations,  he  would 


COMPLAINTS  OF  PREACHING  187 


put  down  as  a  first  condition  the  liberation  of  Belgium." 

The  vicar  protests  that  he  has  not  accused  the  German 
nation  of  lying  and  that  he  has  said  nothing  to  suggest  the 
idea  of  territorial  conquest. 

There  have  probably  been  two  misunderstandings.  The 
first  passage  gave  rise  to  the  first,  and  the  second  passage 
to  the  second. 

The  vicar  offered  to  give  me,  if  I  wanted,  the  notes 
which  he  made  use  of  in  preaching.  I  deemed  it  superfluous 
to  ask  him  for  them,  but  if  your  Excellency  desires  supple- 
mentary explanations,  I  shall  think  it  my  duty  to  accept  the 
offer  which  has  been  made  to  me. 

Accept,  dear  Governor  General,  the  expression  of  my 
sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Government  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 
P.  A.  J.  2339.  March  9,  19 15. 

To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

As  a  sequel  to  my  letter  P.  A.  I.  2031,  of  February  29, 
I  bring  this  to  your  Eminence's  notice  that  the  Vicar  Wit- 
temberg,  of  the  Church  of  St.  Alice,  in  Brussels,  has  been 
guilty  of  a  new  misdemeanor  by  making  in  his  sermon  of 
February  27th  statements  of  a  political  nature.  Consequent- 
ly I  beg  your  Eminence  to  let  me  know  at  once  whether  I 
may  rest  quite  assured  that  the  Vicar  Wittemberg  will  be 
compelled  by  ecclesiastical  authority  to  confine  himself  with- 
in the  limits  of  his  ministerial  office. 

I  offer  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Lieutenant  General. 

This  letter  remained  for  the  time  being  unanswered. 

The  controversy  about  patriotic  acts  was  not,  however, 
ended.  It  will  again  be  the  subject  of  long  discussions 
between  the  Cardinal,  the  Governor  General  and  the  head 
of  his  political  department,  Baron  von  der  Lancken. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 


THE  PASTORAL  LETTER,  "ON  MY  RETURN  FROM  ROME" 

On  October  15th,  19 15,  the  Cardinal  had  written  a  pas- 
toral entitled,  "For  the  Feast  of  All  Saints  and  All  Souls' 
Day."  It  had  been  read  in  all  the  churches  in  three  sec- 
tions on  Sunday,  October  31st,  on  All  Saints'  Day  and  on 
Sunday,  November  6th.  In  answer  to  the  dispatch  of  four 
copies  the  Governor  General  sent  the  following  acknowledg- 
ment to  his  Eminence  : 

Brussels,  November  11,  1 9 1 5 . 

I  have  the  honor  to  thank  your  Eminence  for  sending 
me  four  copies  of  your  pastoral  of  October  15th.  Although 
I  do  not  share  your  views  on  all  points,  yet  I  note  with 
pleasure  that  this  new  manifesto  of  your  Eminence  is  a 
great  improvement  on  those  which  have  preceded  it. 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing. 

As  you  see,  von  Bissing,  pleased  with  the  letter,  did  not 
even  blame  the  Cardinal  for  having  it  printed  without  sub- 
mitting it  to  the  censor.  Did  he  perchance  hope  that  he 
had  tamed  his  patriotism  and  had  succeeded  in  making  him 
change  his  attitude  toward  the  power  in  occupation?  If  so, 
his  illusion  must  have  been  short-lived;  for  the  dispute  was 
about  to  be  reopened  as  closely  contested  as  ever,  about  a 
new  pastoral  dated  March  7th,  19 16,  and  beginning,  "On 
my  return  from  Rome." 

During  the  whole  of  his  journey  through  Switzerland 
and  Italy,  the  Cardinal  had  received  enthusiastic  ovations, 
which  were  meant  both  for  the  courageous  pastor  and  the 
heroic  country  he  represented.  The  German  press  had 
taken  umbrage  at  these  manifestations  of  warm  sympathy; 

188 


"ON  MY  RETURN  FROM  ROME"  189 


it  had  accused  the  Cardinal  of  having  lent  himself  to  politi- 
cal demonstrations  and  it  had  urged  the  power  of  occupa- 
tion to  proceed  against  him  with  severity  immediately  on 
his  return. 

Undaunted  by  threats,  the  Cardinal  communicated  to 
his  flock  the  comforting  impressions  he  had  gleaned  during 
his  journey. 

On  Sunday,  March  12,  the  clergy  read  in  all  the  churches 
of  the  diocese  the  letter,  "On  Our  Return  from  Rome.', 
The  Cardinal,  after  expressing  the  joy  he  felt  at  finding 
himself  again  in  the  midst  of  the  faithful  of  his  diocese, 
said  that  his  journey  had  been  blessed  in  a  special  manner 
and  that  he  came  back  happy,  most  happy.  He  had  been 
received  with  fatherly  kindness  by  the  Pope,  who  told  him 
that  the  cause  of  Belgium  was  his  cause;  he  had  satisfied 
himself  that  everywhere  the  moral  triumph  of  Belgium  had 
been  definitely  won,  and  lastly  the  assurances,  which  several 
disinterested  and  attentive  observers  of  the  general  situation 
had  given  him,  had  fixed  in  his  heart,  more  deep-rooted  than 
ever,  this  conviction  of  final  victory. 

"Keep  an  absolute  faith  in  Providence,"  he  added;  "are 
we  not  all  of  us  always  in  the  hands  of  the  Almighty,  more 
so,  indeed,  than  the  lilies  of  the  fields  or  the  birds  of  the 
air  which  flutter  about  the  trees?  .  .  .  Make  your  plans, 
set  up  your  batteries,  order  your  movements,  it  remains 
for  man  to  propose  and  God  to  dispose.  .  .  .  Imagine  a 
belligerent  nation  sure  of  its  army  corps,  its  ammunitions,  its 
command,  on  the  point  of  gaining  a  triumph;  should  God 
allow  the  germs  of  an  epidemic  to  break  out  in  their  ranks, 
there  and  then  are  ruined  the  expectations  of  the  most  op- 
timistic. 

"Therefore,  above  all,  have  confidence  in  God  .  . 
The  letter  ended  with  an  earnest  appeal  for  prayer  and 
sacrifice. 

The  Governor  General  was  not  long  in  showing  his 
anger.  The  very  next  morning,  before  even  writing  to  his 
Eminence,  he  put  M.  Charles  Dessain,  Burgomaster  of 
Malines  and  printer  to  the  archbishop,  under  arrest,  as  well 
as  four  printers  engaged  at  his  works.    The  Cardinal,  hav- 


190    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


ing  learned  the  news  at  the  Abbey  of  Mont-Cesar,  where  he 
had  retired  to  make  a  retreat,  hastened  to  address  the  fol- 
lowing letter  to  von  Bissing: 

Abbaye  du  Mont-Cesar,  Lottvain, 

March  15,  19 16. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — The  news  has  reached  me  here  that  M.  Charles 
Dessain,  Burgomaster  of  the  town  of  Malines,  and  four 
workmen  printers  of  his  works,  have  been  placed  under 
arrest,  the  former  for  having  had  printed,  the  latter  for 
printing,  my  pastoral  dated  March  7. 

I  presume  that  the  intention  of  those  who  have  arrested 
them  is  merely  to  have  them  examined. 

But  if  your  Excellency  is  of  opinion  that  the  arrest 
is  the  forerunner  of  a  trial,  perhaps  of  a  condemnation,  I 
would  earnestly  beg  of  you  to  consider  that  justice  demands 
that  the  consequences  of  an  act  must  be  made  to  fall  upon 
him  who  bears  the  responsibility.  The  printing  of  the  pas- 
toral is  my  act,  rather  than  that  of  the  printer  and  his 
workmen. 

If  objection  were  made  to  your  Excellency,  or  your  Ex- 
cellency yourself  were  to  make  it,  that  you  are  not  qualified 
to  judge  and  proceed  against  a  bishop  and  a  prince  of  the 
Church  exercising  his  pastoral  office,  I  would  take  the  lib- 
erty to  call  to  your  notice  that  in  the  present  instance  it  is 
neither  a  bishop  nor  a  member  of  the  Sacred  College  against 
whom  you  would  proceed,  but  a  private  individual,  who,  of 
his  own  accord,  undertakes  to  be  the  spokesman  of  upright 
and  faithful  fathers  of  families,  whom,  through  his  loyalty 
and  affection  for  them,  he  of  his  own  responsibility  takes 
under  his  shelter. 

Accept,  dear  Governor  General,  the  expression  of  my 
sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 


"ON  MY  RETURN  FROM  ROME"  191 


Von  Bissing  refused  to  comply  with  the  demands  of 
the  Cardinal. 

Government  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 

March  18,  19 16. 
To   His   Eminence    Cardinal    Mercier,   Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

I  beg  to  inform  your  Eminence,  in  reply  to  your  letter 
of  the  15th  inst.,  that  it  is  solely  on  the  ground  of  my 
decree  on  the  censorship  of  printed  matters  that  the  Printer 
Dessain  and  his  workmen  have  been  prosecuted.  Your 
Eminence  may  feel  yourself  morally  responsible  for  the  mis- 
demeanor committed,  which  thus  exposes  fathers  of  families 
to  prosecution  at  law;  but  that  can  have  no  influence  on  the 
legal  procedure  now  going  on.  The  result  of  this  procedure 
is  beyond  my  province. 

Moreover,  I  cannot  at  all  understand  how  your  Emi- 
nence imagines  that  I  can  act  toward  you,  as  I  would  toward 
a  private  individual,  without  any  regard  for  your  ecclesias^ 
tical  dignity. 

I  offer  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Lieutenant  General. 

M.  Charles  Dessain,  Burgomaster  of  Malines,  was  con- 
demned and  deported  to  Germany  on  the  charge  of  printing 
the  pastoral. 

Three  days  after  the  reading  of  the  letter  in  the 
churches,  von  Bissing  addressed  to  the  Cardinal  a  long  list 
of  charges,  which  he  took  care  to  have  published  in  the 
Belgian  censored  press. 

Governor  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 
P.  A.  I.  2606.  March  15,  19 16. 

To   His   Eminence    Cardinal   Mercier,   Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

I  bring  the  following  facts  to  your  Eminence's  notice. 
He  who  is  placed  in  the  highest  position  to  watch  over 


i92     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


and  safeguard  the  interests  of  the  Catholic  Church  has 
assured  me  on  several  occasions  and  in  the  most  formal 
manner  that  at  your  return  from  Rome  your  Eminence 
would  observe  an  attitude  full  of  moderation.  I  could  ex- 
pect then  that  your  Eminence  would  abstain  from  manifes- 
toes which  continue  to  upset  the  easily  excited  minds  of 
the  Belgian  people.  For  this  reason  I  refrained  from  dis- 
cussing with  your  Eminence  the  incidents  connected  with 
your  journey  and  more  particularly  the  collective  letter  of 
the  Belgian  bishops  *  and  the  political  misuse  which  your 
Eminence  made  of  the  passport  obtained  by  the  Holy  Father 
to  allow  you  to  go  to  Rome  for  purposes  entirely  ecclesias- 
tical. 

By  your  new  pastoral  your  Eminence  not  only  has  not 
behaved  conformably  to  the  assurances  given  me  by  him 
who  was  best  qualified  to  do  so,  but  you  have  acted  in  such 
wise  that  relations  between  yourself  and  the  power  of  occu- 
pation are  again  strained.  Of  course  there  can  be  no  pos- 
sible doubt  whatever  that  I  will  never  hinder  your  Eminence 
from  transmitting  to  the  faithful  communications  which  the 
Holy  See  may  wish  to  make  to  them  through  you.  But 
your  Eminence  in  your  pastoral  does  not  stop  here.  You 
give  vent  to  remarks  which  are  purely  political.  I  protest 
vigorously  against  this  way  of  acting. 

The  behavior  of  your  Eminence  is  inexcusable,  when  in 
talking  of  the  result  of  the  war  you  raise  hopes  which  are 
ill-grounded  and  obviously  out  of  keeping  with  real  facts. 
For  instance,  your  Eminence,  to  strengthen  your  assertions, 
quotes  vague  statements  coming  from  people  who  are  quite 
outsiders  in  regard  to  events  and  whom  it  is  impossible  to 
look  upon  as  good  authorities.  In  another  place,  you  try 
to  make  an  impression  by  saying  that  the  issue  you  desire 
might  come  about  through  the  spreading  of  epidemic  dis- 
eases. 

*  Note — On  November  24,  1915,  the  Belgian  hierarchy  addressed  a  col- 
lective letter  to  the  episcopate  of  Germany  and  Austro-Hungary  to  protest 
against  the  calumnies  launched  against  the  Belgians  by  the  German  Govern- 
ment and  to  call  for  an  impartial  inquiry  about  the  atrocities  committed  by 
German  troops  at  the  beginning  of  the  war.  This  letter  remained  un- 
answered. 


"ON  MY  RETURN  FROM  ROME"  193 


By  this  arbitrary  method  of  arguing,  your  Eminence 
can  only  provoke  a  mischievous  excitement  among  an  over- 
credulous  people,  which  may  drive  it  into  an  active  or  pas- 
sive resistance  to  the  occupying  power. 

I  have  to  mark  as  particularly  intolerable  the  allusion 
which  your  Eminence  makes  in  your  pastoral  to  an  en- 
croachment on  the  religious  liberties  of  the  people  in  the  oc- 
cupied territory.  Your  Eminence  knows  better  than  any 
one  that  this  insinuation  is  perfectly  unjustified. 

Under  these  circumstances,  contrary  to  the  spirit  of 
forbearance  which  I  have  shown  till  now,  I  am  determined 
to  suppress  without  delay  every  kind  of  political  propaganda 
spread  under  the  cloak  of  liberty  of  worship  and  every  act 
tending  to  foster  sentiments  of  hostility  toward  the  legiti- 
mate authority  of  the  power  in  occupation,  an  authority 
recognized  by  international  law.  It  is  my  duty  to  do  so  in 
conformity  with  my  decrees  and  the  fulfillment  of  my  mis- 
sion. 

If,  till  now,  I  have  notified  to  your  Eminence  the  trans- 
gressions of  which  your  priests  have  been  guilty  in  order 
that  they  might  be  punished  according  to  ecclesiastical  dis- 
cipline, I  am  determined  to  dispense  with  this  in  the  future. 
In  fact,  your  Eminence  yourself  has  set  the  example  of 
insubordination.  As  a  consequence  of  this,  your  influence 
is  now  without  weight.  I  must,  moreover,  more  and  more, 
make  your  Eminence  morally  responsible  for  the  regrettable 
acts  into  which  a  great  number  of  priests  allow  themselves 
to  be  drawn  and  which  bring  severe  penalties  upon  some 
of  them. 

Your  Eminence  will  again  retort  that  I  have  misunder- 
stood certain  passages  of  your  pastoral  and  I  have  given 
them  a  sense  never  meant  by  you.  All  discussion  about 
this  must  prove  futile,  and  I  have  no  intention  to  start  a 
fresh  one.  On  the  contrary,  I  have  firmly  made  up  my 
mind  for  the  future  not  to  allow  your  Eminence,  misusing 
your  high  position  and  the  respect  due  to  your  cloth,  to 
indulge  in  a  political  propaganda  calculated  to  turn  the 
heads  of  the  mob,  a  delinquency  which  in  the  case  of  a 
simple  citizen  would  result  in  penal  consequences.    I  warn 


194     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


your  Eminence,  therefore,  to  abstain  henceforth  from  any 
political  kind  of  activity. 

I  offer  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Lieutenant  General. 

The  Cardinal  merely  acknowledged  von  Bissing' s  letter, 
intending  to  answer  it  later  in  detail.  A  month  afterward 
he  told  the  Governor  General  that  he  had  drawn  up  a  docu- 
ment of  justification.  He  offered  to  send  it  to  him,  with  a 
request  to  communicate  the  same  to  the  bishops  of  Germany 
and  Austria-Hungary. 

Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

April  26,  19 16. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — When  on  the  20th  of  last  March  I  acknowledged 
your  letter  of  March  15,  I  told  you  that  journeys  necessi- 
tated by  my  pastoral  duties  prevented  me  from  replying  at 
once. 

Since  then  I  have  prepared  an  answer. 

In  this  document  I  deal  with  each  of  the  grievances 
which  your  Excellency  has  drawn  up  and  suddenly  and  pub- 
licly launched  at  me  and  at  my  pastoral  office. 

The  sending  of  the  joint  letter  of  the  Belgian  hierarchy 
to  the  German  episcopate  is  the  first  grievance;  it  is,  how- 
ever, merely  mentioned. 

According  to  your  second  complaint,  I  am  supposed  to 
have  misused  the  passport  which  I  obtained  through  your 
Excellency's  kindness  for  my  journey  to  Rome. 

The  third  grievance,  the  chief  one,  is  that  in  my  pas- 
toral of  March  7  I  have  indulged  in  remarks  of  a  purely 
political  character. 

In  proof  of  this  third  complaint,  your  accusation  of 
March  1 5  bases  itself  on  three  different  facts. 

"I  have  tried, "  you  say,  "in  talking  about  the  issue  of 
the  war,  to  raise  hopes  which  were  ill-grounded  and  out  of 


"ON  MY  RETURN  FROM  ROME"  195 


keeping  with  real  facts";  to  bolster  up  these  hopes,  "I  have 
quoted  vague  statements  emanating  from  irresponsible  per- 
sons"; lastly  I  said  that  "the  decision  I  hope  for  might  be 
brought  about  by  the  spreading  of  epidemic  diseases." 

Against  each  of  these  accusations  I  set  down  the  facts 
as  they  really  are. 

Then  as  the  allegation  talks  very  often  about  "politics" 
without  defining  this  abstract  word,  I  have  thought  that  to 
clear  the  air  of  equivocations  or  to  forestall  them,  it  would 
be  necessary  to  define  the  dispositions  of  canon  law  and  con- 
stitutional law  about  the  liberty  of  preaching. 

Lastly,  your  Excellency  has  shown  that  you  especially 
took  to  heart  an  allusion  which  I  made  about  an  encroach- 
ment on  the  religious  liberty  of  the  people  dwelling  in  oc- 
cupied territory.  I  have  made  it  my  duty  to  declare  that 
I  am  ready  to  lay  bare  in  detail  my  grievances  under  this 
head.  Only  I  ask  as  a  proviso  that  guarantees  of  im- 
munity from  punishment  be  granted  me  for  the  persons 
whose  names  and  testimony  I  may  have  to  quote. 

My  reply  to  the  address  on  each  of  these  points  is  there- 
fore drawn  up.  It  is  at  your  Excellency's  disposal.  I  am 
sincerely  desirous  of  sending  it  to  you. 

But  I  cannot  make  up  my  mind  to  send  it  to  you  spon- 
taneously. In  fact,  I  ask  myself  what  useful  purpose  would 
be  served  were  I  to  do  so. 

Would  it  be  to  convince  your  Excellency? 

Why,  you  have  warned  me  that  all  my  explanations 
would  be  shelved;  you  have  made  up  your  mind  that  all 
discussion  should  be  useless. 

Would  it  be  to  enlighten  the  Belgian  people? 

In  the  first  place  I  could  not  do  so  without  exposing  my 
printer  to  the  risk  of  a  year's  imprisonment. 

Moreover,  I  have  confidence  in  my  countrymen,  just  as 
they  have  confidence  in  their  archbishop  and  bishops. 

Your  Excellency  thinks  the  Belgians  credulous;  how  mis- 
taken you  are  !  Our  little  Belgian  people  is  wonderful  for 
its  coolness  and  common  sense. 

Accustomed  to  think  for  themselves,  they  place  no  re- 
liance on  opinions  which  people  try  to  impose  on  them  with- 


i96     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


out  discussion.  For  twenty  months  they  have  not  been 
spared  either  alarming  news,  grief  of  separations,  anxiety 
for  the  morrow,  or  intimidating  procedures;  yet  is  not  your 
Excellency  struck  by  the  unshakable  confidence  which  they 
hold  in  the  future? 

Would  it  be  to  justify  myself  that  I  ought  to  send  my 
answer  to  your  Excellency? 

But  my  conscience  does  not  reproach  me  for  anything 
in  which  I  have  gone  beyond  the  boundary  marked  out  for 
me  by  my  episcopal  prerogative.  Moreover,  in  the  carry- 
ing out  of  my  pastoral  office,  I  depend  on  the  jurisdiction  of 
the  Holy  See,  and  my  last  pastoral  tells  clearly  enough  what 
reception  the  sovereign  pontiff  was  pleased  to  grant  me. 

Nevertheless,  I  should  like,  sir,  to  be  able  to  send  you 
my  pamphlet,  because  there  is  a  fraction  of  the  public  to 
whose  esteem  and  affection  I  am  attached  and  with  which 
you  alone  can  put  me  in  touch;  I  mean  my  brethren,  the 
faithful,  the  clergy  and  the  Catholic  bishops  of  Germany 
and  Austria-Hungary. 

If  one  may  judge  by  the  language  of  the  press,  Catholic 
and  non-Catholic,  of  these  two  countries  our  brethren  must 
know  and  judge  very  ill  of  us.  They  know  not  what  we 
are.  In  every  case,  where  we  have  been  put  on  our  trial 
since  the  war  began,  they  have  only  heard  witnesses  for  the 
prosecution.  You  have  published  broadcast  among  them 
your  own  accusations.  They  know  nothing  of  the  point  of 
my  offense,  my  pastoral. 

Could  I  only  hope  that  as  a  loyal  soldier  and  just 
judge  you  would  consent  to  put  before  them  my  pastoral, 
your  allegation  and  my  justifying  rejoinder,  with  what  joy 
would  I  not  send  you,  by  return  of  post,  this  last  document 
dealing  with  my  case  ? 

Not  only  would  I  congratulate  myself  on  knowing  my 
honor  was  safeguarded,  but  I  would  above  all  see  in  this 
communication  to  my  brethren,  whom  I  believe  to  be  in 
good  faith,  yet  in  error,  a  means  of  paving  the  way  for  the 
time  when  peace  is  proclaimed,  for  preparing  a  reconcilia- 
tion, in  Catholic  charity,  of  souls  which  suffer  in  feeling 
that  they  are  so  violently  estranged  from  one  another. 


"ON  MY  RETURN  FROM  ROME"  197 


Accept,  dear  Governor  General,  the  expression  of  my 
sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  Governor  General  von  Bissing  met  the  Cardinal's 
desire  with  a  curt  refusal. 

Government  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 
P.  A.  I.  No.  4063.  April  20,  19 16. 

To   His   Eminence    Cardinal    Mercier,    Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

In  your  esteemed  letter  of  the  26th  inst.,  your  Eminence 
asks  whether  I  am  inclined  to  accept  and  hand  over  to  the 
German  bishops  a  detailed  document  to  justify  your  be- 
havior. The  reasons  which,  after  ripe  consideration,  have 
determined  me  to  say  in  my  letter  of  March  15th  that  I 
could  not  allow  new  discussions  about  this  matter  still  hold 
good.  I  regret  that  I  cannot  accede  to  your  Eminence's 
wish.  I  am  all  the  more  inclined  to  hold  fast  to  my  opinion 
because  from  the  hints  which  your  Eminence  gives  about  the 
contents  of  your  document  of  justification  I  believe  that  fur- 
ther discussion  would  be  useless. 

The  public  and  particularly  the  German  bishops  have 
been  able  to  form  their  own  judgment  from  the  writings 
which  have  reached  them.  The  last  pastoral  of  your  Emi- 
nence was  published  in  extenso  in  the  press.  If  discussion 
on  this  matter  were  reopened,  only  trouble  could  come  from 
it,  most  especially  among  the  Belgian  people.  It  is  pre- 
cisely because  I  recognize  that  the  great  majority  of  the  Bel- 
gian people  behave  correctly  that  I  wish  to  avoid  everything 
which  might  provoke  a  fresh  agitation.  Basing  my  judg- 
ment on  the  same  grounds,  I  venture  to  think  the  best  jus- 
tification for  your  Eminence  is  to  let  bygones  be  bygones  and 
to  take  account  of  circumstances  and  needs  arising  from  our 
occupation  of  the  country. 

I  offer  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem.  The  Governor  General. 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Lieutenant  General. 


i98     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


The  following  is  the  justification  which  von  Bissing 
refused  to  accept: 

Archbishop's  House ,  M  alines, 

April  24,  1 9 16. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — A  full  month  has  elapsed  since  your  Excellency 
thought  fit  to  appeal  to  public  opinion  to  bear  witness  that 
your  behavior  toward  the  Belgian  people  and  myself  has 
been  beyond  reproach,  whereas  mine  has  been  blameworthy 
and  seditious. 

The  procedure  is  assuredly  a  strange  one.  Neverthe- 
less, I  would  not  complain  of  it,  if  it  had  pleased  your  Ex- 
cellency to  join  to  your  accusation  the  text  of  the  pastoral 
which  you  indicted. 

But,  on  the  contrary,  I  have  been  accused  and  judged 
without  a  hearing.  I  have  been  condemned  by  a  verdict 
which,  it  is  declared,  is  irrevocable. 

I  have  been  made  a  defenseless  butt  for  the  comments 
of  hate,  the  slanders  and  the  ribaldry  of  the  German  press. 
Your  government  has  forced  the  Belgian  press  to  publish 
your  accusations.  It  has  allowed  the  free  circulation  of  car- 
toons which  insulted  me,*  and  had  I,  in  self-defense,  pub- 
lished two  lines  of  protest,  my  printer  would  have  paid  the 
service  rendered  me  with  one  year's  imprisonment. 

In  the  letter  which  I  had  the  honor  to  write  to  your 
Excellency  under  date  March  20,  I  gave  hopes  of  an  early 
answer,  which  I  intended  to  make  to  your  letter  No.  2606, 
dated  March  15.  But  I  preferred  to  put  off  my  reply  for 
two  reasons. 

In  the  first  place,  time  soothes  one's  mind  and  allows 
one  to  reflect. 

Secondly,  it  is  well  that  your  Excellency  should  have  a 
fresh  proof  that  you  were  mistaken  when  you  believe  the 
Belgians  to  be  excitable  and  always  threatening  to  disturb 
public  order.     Belgian   patriotism   is  unconquerable  and 

♦Note — One  of  these  cartoons  depicted  the  Cardinal  under  the  shape 
of  a  parrot  on  its  perch.  Von  Bissing  standing  up  on  his  side  with  up- 
lifted finger  was  telling  him  to  hold  his  tongue. 


"ON  MY  RETURN  FROM  ROME"  199 


proud,  but  it  is,  and  remains,  dignified;  it  does  not  yield, 
but  it  retains  its  self-possession. 

Already  for  twenty  months,  notwithstanding  the  dark 
memories  which  float  about  our  atmosphere,  in  spite  of 
annoyances,  regulations  without  stint,  requisitions  and 
searches,  condemnations  to  fine,  imprisonment,  deportation, 
death,  which  fall  thick  upon  us  like  hail  itself,  this  fair  little 
people  of  Belgium  keeps  within  bounds.  It  neither  bows  its 
head  nor  does  it  cast  down  its  eyes  before  any  one,  and  it 
has  not  committed  a  single  revolutionary  act. 

Its  only  crime  is  that  it  will  not  die.  The  only  crime 
ascribable  to  us — public  administration,  magistrates,  clergy, 
hierarchy — is  that  we  persist  in  thinking  and  saying:  "Bel- 
gian people  in  the  indissoluble  union  of  your  two  races — 
Walloon  and  Flemish — you  shall  not  die,  you  cannot  die." 

I  have  carefully  read  your  accusation  of  March  15.  I 
think  I  can  sum  up  in  a  few  words  the  charges  against  me 
which  it  contains. 

Your  Excellency  says  you  were  deceived  at  the  time  of 
my  coming  back  from  Rome.  You  expected  from  me,  you 
say,  an  attitude  full  of  moderation. 

Incidentally,  the  letter  of  March  15  mentions  the  col- 
lective letter  of  the  Belgian  hierarchy  to  the  German 
bishops. 

Then  it  finds  fault  with  me  for  my  having  misused  the 
passport  which  allowed  me  to  carry  out  my  journey  to 
Rome. 

Lastly  and  above  all,  you  find  fault  with  me  for  having 
indulged  in  my  last  pastoral  in  "remarks  of  a  purely  political 
nature." 

Your  Excellency  expected  then  from  me,  as  you  say, 
"an  attitude  of  moderation"  at  the  time  of  my  return  to 
Belgium. 

You  wish,  no  doubt,  to  give  me  thus  to  understand  that 
on  your  side  you  intended  to  act  toward  me  with  peculiar 
kindness. 

To  tell  the  truth,  I  have  not  been  aware  of  it.  When 
on  Tuesday,  February  29,  at  6  a.  m.  I  was  entering  Brus- 
sels I  went  at  once  to  St.  Louis's  Institute.    I  there  said 


200     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


mass  and  peacefully  spent  some  hours  of  the  morning. 
Meanwhile  five  spies  kept  watch  on  the  institute,  and  when 
I  proceeded  to  return  to  my  cathedral  at  Malines  at  1 1,  two 
policemen  in  plain  clothes,  placing  themselves  at  my  side, 
escorted  me  to  within  a  few  yards  of  my  archiépiscopal  pal- 
ace. Indeed,  they  were  so  very  pressing  in  their  attentions 
that  they  could  have  overheard  a  private  conversation  had 
I  not  warned  my  friend  to  lower  his  voice. 

And  your  Excellency  will  not  have  forgotten  that  on 
March  6,  a  few  days  after  my  return  and  therefore  before 
the  publication  of  my  pastoral,  which  was  not  read  in  the 
churches  until  the  12th  of  that  month,  the  newspapers  in 
the  service  of  the  German  Government  announced  to  the 
country  nine  fresh  condemnations  to  death,  six  of  which 
were  followed  by  instant  executions  at  Mons,  for  acts 
which  were  branded  as  political  crimes.  These  condemned 
men  were  denied  the  consolation  of  making  their  last  con- 
fession and  final  confidences  to  a  Belgian  priest. 

Your  Excellency  knew  of  the  collective  letter  of  the 
Belgian  episcopate  to  the  bishops  of  Germany  at  the  moment 
when  you  were  kind  enough  to  grant  me  a  passport  for 
Rome.  Besides,  I  have  still  to  learn  that  a  brotherly  ex- 
change of  letters  between  members  of  the  Catholic  epis- 
copacy falls  under  the  provisions  of  the  penal  code,  or  is 
forbidden  by  international  law.  On  the  other  hand,  it  har- 
monizes entirely  with  the  spirit  and  traditions  of  the 
Church. 

I  am  well  aware  that  toward  the  end  of  my  stay  in 
Rome  the  German  press  exerted  itself  to  bring  about  the 
withdrawal  of  my  passport  and  tried  to  turn  to  my  disad- 
vantage the  collective  letter  of  the  Belgian  episcopate  to  the 
bishops  of  Germany  and  my  interview  with  M.  Briand. 

But  the  collective  letter  which  had  not  hindered  my  de- 
parture from  Belgium  could  not  consistently  hinder  my  re- 
turn. As  to  my  interview  with  M.  Briand,  no  one  had  any 
inkling  of  what  took  place  at  it,  and  could  not  therefore  be 
justified  in  claiming  that  it  served  political  ends. 

The  truth  is  that  during  the  whole  of  my  journey  I  prac- 
ticed a  reserve  to  an  extent  such  as  many  thought  excessive. 


"ON  MY  RETURN  FROM  ROME"  201 

I  remember  hearing  a  diplomat  exclaim,  "Can  it  be  then  that 
this  poor  Cardinal  Mercier  even  during  his  stay  here  in  Italy 
is  still  a  prisoner  of  the  Germans  ?"  I  granted  no  interview, 
delivered  no  speech,  did  not  depart  a  single  mile  from  my 
itinerary.  I  was  too  anxious  to  furnish  no  pretext  for  a 
fresh  incident  such  as  might  be  put  forward  as  a  plea  to  bar 
my  return.    I  foresaw  the  danger  and  was  forearmed. 

The  German  press,  nevertheless,  has  discovered,  so  it 
seems,  a  political  discourse  which  I  am  believed  to  have  de- 
livered at  Florence,  "eine  politische  Rede  in  einer  Nonnen- 
schule."  The  fact  is  that  I  paid  a  visit  to  the  Sisters  of 
Providence  at  Badia  di  Ropoli,  in  the  suburbs  of  Florence; 
they  conduct  a  boarding  school  for  young  girls.  When  I 
entered  the  playroom,  the  "Brabançonne"  was  played,  one 
of  the  girls  read  me  an  address  which  I  answered  with  a 
sympathetic  reference  to  our  absent  country,  but  without  ut- 
tering a  word  that  could  wound  any  one.  Nothing  more. 
There,  as  elsewhere,  I  preserved  the  reserve  which  my  dig- 
nity and  my  own  interest  demanded. 

The  third  complaint  in  your  allegation  of  March  1 5,  the 
chief  one  and  the  one  most  enlarged  upon,  is  also  the  most 
vague  and  intangible. 

I  am  accused  of  "indulging  in  purely  political  criticisms," 
of  "having  given  an  example  of  insubordination,"  of  "hav- 
ing pursued  an  unbridled  political  propaganda,"  but  no  care 
is  taken  to  define  the  meaning  of  the  abstract  term  "politi- 
cal." 

The  specimens  they  bring  forward  of  such  propaganda 
enable  one  nevertheless  to  conjecture  the  sense  of  the  accu- 
sation. 

It  seems  that  I  have  acted  politically  when  "in  contem- 
plating the  result  of  the  war  I  have  sought  to  raise  un- 
founded hopes  contrary  to  the  stern  reality  of  facts"  ;  when 
in  order  to  find  ground  for  these  hopes  "I  have  quoted  in- 
accurate statements  emanating  from  incompetent  persons"; 
finally  when  I  said  that  "the  decision  I  looked  for  might  be 
brought  about  by  the  spread  of  epidemic  diseases." 

But  what  evil  is  there,  pray,  in  encouraging  a  suffering 
people?   Should  I  better  second  the  policy  of  the  occupying 


202     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


power  if  I  drove  the  Belgians  into  a  state  of  discourage- 
ment and  despair? 

Deep  in  my  breast  I  confidently  look  for  the  success  of 
our  cause.  This  confidence  is  based  on  motives  of  the 
natural  order,  which  in  my  pastoral  I  refrained  from  devel- 
oping precisely  to  avoid  the  semblance  of  meddling  with  the 
calculations  of  politicians  or  the  plans  of  headquarters.  It 
is  based  besides  on  supernatural  motives  of  which  my  con- 
science is  the  sole  judge.  I  cherish  this  confidence.  It  sus- 
tains my  courage,  and  because  I  love  my  faithful  flock  I 
desire  to  impart  it  to  them. 

Once  again  where  is  the  evil  ?  I  do  not  claim  to  hinder 
you  from  indulging  opposite  hopes,  and  when  I  read  the  pas- 
torals and  discourses  of  German  and  Austrian  cardinals  and 
bishops  it  never  occurred  to  me  to  impute  as  a  crime  to  them 
their  exhortations  to  patience  and  hope  addressed  to  their 
flocks  and  your  soldiers.  Why  is  it  that  what  is  religion 
beyond  the  Rhine  is  on  this  side  political  meddling? 

But,  say  they,  you  deceive  your  hearers  ;  "you  quote  the 
inaccurate  statements  of  incompetent  persons." 

Incompetent?  Is  this  quite  certain?  Suppose  I  had 
quoted  diplomats,  statesmen,  military  authorities?  Why 
then,  indeed,  I  should  be  justly  accused  of  speaking  politics. 

Besides,  if  the  words  quoted  are  inaccurate,  why  are  you 
so  disturbed?  If  I  had  quoted  the  evidence  in  detail,  had 
brought  forward  the  names  of  persons  who  had  been  mixed 
up  with  the  events  alluded  to,  I  could  understand  your  fears 
of  an  agitation.  But  what  reason  is  there  to  fear  conse- 
quences from  an  anonymous  report,  which  for  that  reason 
is  considered  worthless? 

According  to  the  German  newspapers  my  crime  is  espe- 
cially this,  that  I  called  down  on  our  enemies  the  chastise- 
ment of  an  epidemic.  I  said  simply  in  general  terms  that 
human  means  are  not  enough  to  secure  success,  for  man, 
however  resourceful  he  may  be  or  however  great  his  efforts, 
remains  dependent  on  Divine  Omnipotence.  Man  proposes, 
I  said,  quoting  a  proverb  known  to  every  one  and  which  in 
every-day  languages  embodies  a  thought  inscribed  on  every 
page  of  Holy  Writ — man  proposes  and  God  disposes. 


"ON  MY  RETURN  FROM  ROME"  203 


No  nation,  whether  friendly  or  unfriendly,  was  expressly 
aimed  at  in  my  pastoral,  but  the  first  to  whom  the  logical 
context  points  the  application  of  this  scriptural  saying  and 
of  the  homely  Christian  proverb  derived  from  it  is  the 
nation  to  which  my  words  were  directly  addressed,  the  Bel- 
gian nation,  her  army  and  together  with  her  the  armies  of 
the  Allies. 

Just  before  the  phrase  to  which  exception  is  taken  I  had 
written,  "For  us  the  future  is  not  doubtful,  but  we  must  pre- 
pare for  it,  and  to  prepare  for  it  we  must  foster  within  our- 
selves the  virtue  of  patience  and  the  spirit  of  sacrifice." 

And  immediately  after  the  offending  phrase  I  said, 
"Purify  your  consciences  ;  let  purity,  modesty,  Christian  sim- 
plicity, reign  in  your  homes  ;  prepare  yourselves  by  contri- 
tion, etc." 

Between  these  two  ideas  they  wish  to  insert  a  desire  of 
vengeance,  a  prayer  that  a  miraculous  epidemic  should  fall 
on  the  enemy's  army.  Thus  the  logical  connection  of 
thought  is  broken,  and  to  break  it  it  was  needful  to  do  vio- 
lence to  the  context  and  to  truth. 

"I  must  point  out  as  particularly  intolerable,"  your 
Excellency  declares,  "the  allusion  you  make  in  your  pastoral 
to  an  infringement  of  the  religious  liberty  of  the  population 
in  the  occupied  territory.  Your  Eminence  knows  better  than 
any  one  how  unjust  this  insinuation  is." 

I  am  quite  willing  to  furnish  the  proof  of  my  assertion; 
but  with  this  stipulation,  that  I  am  given  an  understanding 
that  no  harsh  proceedings  shall  be  taken  against  the  persons 
whose  testimony  I  have  to  produce. 

Meanwhile  I  notice  in  the  allegations  of  March  15  an 
undoubted  trespass  on  the  liberty  of  my  ministry.  Your 
Excellency  there  reminds  me  that  you  have  remitted  to 
my  tribunal  for  punishment,  according  to  canonical  disci- 
pline, certain  ecclesiastics  whose  preaching  had  given  um- 
brage to  the  occupying  power.  You  add  that  for  the  fu- 
ture you  will  not  act  with  like  forbearance;  the  reason  as- 
signed for  your  change  of  attitude  is  the  example  of  my  own 
insubordination. 

Your  Excellency  concludes  that  you  have  a  duty  to  hold 


2o4     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


me  morally  responsible  for  the  acts  of  the  clergy  and  for 
the  severe  chastisements  which  they  draw  down  on  them- 
selves; and  you  claim  for  so  doing  "the  legitimate  authority 
recognized  in  you  by  the  law  of  nations." 

Now  if  there  is  one  matter  which  canon  law  and  the 
law  of  nations  withdraw  from  the  purview  of  the  civil 
power,  it  is  the  exercise  of  preaching.  One  of  the  most 
inviolable  features  of  religious  liberty  is  the  prerogative  of 
the  apostolic  word.  In  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  the 
right  of  preaching  is  so  sacred  that  it  belongs  de  jure  only 
to  the  Pope  and  the  bishops.  Priests  speak  only  in  the 
name  of  their  bishop  and  under  his  control.  You  are  quite 
right  in  holding  me  responsible  for  the  preaching  of  my 
clergy,  but  my  responsibility  is  not  to  the  civil  power,  but 
to  the  Church  and  the  Sovereign  Pontiff. 

Religious  authority  belongs  of  right  divine  exclusively 
to  the  Pope  and  to  the  bishops  in  union  with  him.  The 
Church  has  at  all  times  resisted  the  claim  of  the  civil  power 
that  all  her  acts  of  jurisdiction  should  be  submitted  to  its 
approval. 

It  is  evident  then  that,  if  even  the  lawfully  established 
authority  of  a  state  had  the  right  to  subordinate  to  its  good 
pleasure  the  promulgation  of  papal  or  episcopal  acts,  the 
supreme  prerogative  of  church  government  would  belong 
not  to  the  Church,  but  to  the  secular  power.  Every  legisla- 
tor is  the  born  interpreter  of  his  own  laws. 

Your  Excellency  is  quite  willing,  so  you  say,  to  authorize 
me  to  transmit  to  the  faithful  communications  which  the 
Holy  Father  would  desire  to  make  known  to  them  through 
me.  That  is  something,  sir,  but  it  is  not  enough.  The 
bishop  is  not  only  the  mouthpiece  of  papal  instructions;  he  is 
himself  a  teacher  by  divine  right. 

I  have  the  right  to  teach,  to  instruct,  to  guide  my  faith- 
ful people.  I  have  that  right,  inasmuch  as  by  the  divine 
constitution  of  the  Church  I  have  that  duty. 

And  in  carrying  out  that  duty  I  have  no  other  respon- 
sibility except  to  my  conscience  and  to  my  hierarchical  chief, 
our  Holy  Father  the  Pope. 

The  law  of  nations  codified  in  The  Hague  convention 


"ON  MY  RETURN  FROM  ROME"  205 


docs  not  weaken,  but  rather  strengthens,  the  prerogative 
which  I  claim  for  the  episcopate. 

Under  the  rule  of  the  Belgian  constitution,  the  Church 
enjoys  complete  freedom.  Article  XIV  of  the  constitution 
proclaims  liberty  of  worship  and  its  public  exercise.  Article 
XVI  declares  that  the  state  has  not  the  right  to  forbid  to 
the  ministers  of  any  form  of  worship  the  publication  of  their 
acts. 

Now  The  Hague  convention  (Article  XLIII)  imposes 
on  the  occupying  power  the  obligation  to  respect  the  con- 
stitution and  the  laws  of  the  country  occupied. 

When  your  Excellency  brings  before  my  tribunal  priests 
whom  you  believe  guilty  of  abuse  in  the  exercise  of  their 
religious  ministry,  it  is  not  merely  an  act  of  simple  courtesy 
that  you  are  performing,  still  less  voluntary  concession  of  a 
superior  to  an  inferior.  You  are  showing  respect  for  a 
prerogative  acknowledged  to  belong  to  the  religious  author- 
ity by  canon  law  and  also  by  the  constitutional  law  of  Bel- 
gium, which  international  law  forbids  you,  as  the  occupying 
power,  to  violate. 

And  when  the  Feldgericht  of  the  province  of  Antwerp 
condemned  to  deportation  and  imprisonment  the  noble  and 
courageous  Chevalier  Charles  Dessain,  on  the  charge  of 
having  published  my  last  pastoral  letter,  it  violated  at  once 
canon  law,  and,  through  the  violation  of  the  Belgian  con- 
stitution, international  law. 

As  to  these  provisions  of  ecclesiastical  law  and  of  the 
Belgian  constitution,  one  can  understand  that  a  foreign  mili- 
tary court  may  not  have  fully  grasped  them,  but  it  would 
not  be  easy  to  understand  how  the  immediate  representative 
of  the  imperial  power,  whose  foresight  and  sincerity  may 
not  be  called  in  question,  should  consent  to  allow  them  for 
a  long  time  to  be  set  aside. 

Each  time  that  my  attention  has  been  called  to  an  out- 
burst into  which  an  ecclesiastic  may  have  been  betrayed 
while  preaching,  I  have  at  once  held  an  inquiry  and  have 
informed  your  Excellency  of  the  result  and  in  no  single  case 
has  your  Excellency  persisted  in  the  charge.  It  does  not 
then  appear  that  you  have  any  reason  to  depart  from  your 


2o6    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


present  method  of  procedure.  In  agreement  with  your  Ex- 
cellency's views  I  hold  myself  responsible  for  the  preaching 
and  the  attitude  of  my  clergy;  but  it  is  needful  that  I  should 
be  informed  of  blameworthy  acts  laid  to  their  charge,  if  my 
responsibility  is  to  be  effective. 

I  am  still  anxious  to  believe  that  the  words  "severe  chas- 
tisement',  that  slipped  from  your  Excellency's  pen  do  not 
convey  your  fixed  and  final  purpose.  You  will  have  the 
goodness  to  leave  nothing  undone  to  spare  our  priests, 
whose  self-respect  you  may  have  admired,  penalties  which 
they  do  not  deserve.  You  would  not  wish  to  deprive  me  of 
their  assistance  at  a  moment  when  more  than  ever  it  is 
necessary. 

It  would  be  just,  sir,  that  the  public  which  has  learned 
of  your  complaint  against  the  archbishop  of  Malines  should 
also  be  informed  of  his  reply. 

Taking  your  stand  on  considerations  which  in  your  mind 
justified  your  conduct,  you  have  not  hesitated  to  inflict  on 
me  what  you  must  regard  as  a  stigma.  Your  letter  ends 
with  this  stern  conclusion:  'You  have  misused  your  high 
functions  and  the  respect  due  to  your  cloth,  pursued  an  un- 
bridled political  propaganda,  which  would  entail  upon  any 
ordinary  citizen  penal  responsibilities." 

It  would  be  difficult  for  any  one  to  find  words  of  a  more 
infamous  character  than  those  you  have  used  in  my  regard. 
My  conscience  protests  against  this  language  and  hurls  back 
the  stigma.    This  document  contains  my  justification. 

Trusting  the  chivalrous  feelings  of  him  whom  I  am 
addressing,  trusting  to  the  spirit  of  justice  of  him  who  has 
constituted  himself  my  judge,  I  respectfully  beg  him  to 
make  known  my  defense  to  those  before  whom  he  has 
flaunted  his  accusations  against  me. 

Receive,  I  pray,  Mr.  Governor  General,  the  assurance 
of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 


PATRIOTIC  ACTION  OF  THE  PRIESTS 

In  consequence  of  the  polemic  raised  by  the  Cardinal's 
journey  and  the  publication  of  his  letter,  "On  My  Return 
from  Rome,"  the  occupying  power  redoubled  the  rigor  of 
its  measures  affecting  the  clergy.  In  close  succession  several 
priests  and  clerics  were  arrested.  The  fury  of  the  German 
police  was  let  loose  especially  against  the  great  educational 
establishments  at  Brussels.  On  March  19  a  search,  accom- 
panied by  a  good  deal  of  uproar,  was  made  at  the  College  of 
St.  Michael. 

At  half-past  five  in  the  morning  a  hundred  policemen 
and  soldiers  made  a  raid  on  the  establishment.  In  spite 
of  the  most  minute  search,  lasting  till  midday,  they  only 
succeeded  in  discovering  and  carrying  off  as  booty  some 
copies  of  the  newspaper  "Libre  Belgique."  Nevertheless 
Frere  Devroye,  rector  of  the  college,  who  had  just  come  out 
of  prison,  was  again  arrested. 

On  April  14  it  was  the  turn  of  St.  Louis's  Institute  to 
receive  a  visit  from  the  German  police.  They  were  looking 
for  a  student  of  philosophy,  whom  they  succeeded  in  finding. 
That  evening  Canon  Cocheteux,  the  director  of  the  insti- 
tute, and  the  Abbe  Truyens  were  taken  to  the  Komman- 
dantur. 

The  Governor  General,  in  order  to  show  plainly  that  in 
pursuing  the  clergy  he  had  chiefly  the  Cardinal  in  view, 
inserted  an  official  notice  in  the  German  press  and  the  cen- 
sored press  of  Belgium,  that  arrests  had  been  made  in  an 
ecclesiastical  establishment  where  the  Cardinal  had  apart- 
ments and  where  he  stayed  whenever  he  came  to  Brussels. 

On  May  22  the  military  prosecutor  asked  for  Canon 
Cocheteux  a  sentence  of  a  year  and  three  months'  imprison- 

207 


2o8     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


ment  for  having  advised  pupils  of  his  establishment  to  join 
the  Belgian  army,  and  that  the  Abbe  Truyens  should  be 
sentenced  to  ten  years'  penal  servitude  for  having  given  the 
lads  the  necessary  instructions  for  crossing  the  frontier. 

His  Eminence  wrote  to  Baron  von  der  Lancken  point- 
ing out  the  serious  consequences  that  would  result  to  scholas- 
tic institutions  from  the  arrest  of  their  directors  and  pro- 
fessors. There  followed  between  the  Cardinal  and  the  chief 
of  the  political  department  a  correspondence  relative  to  the 
attitude  of  the  occupying  power  toward  the  clergy. 

Archbishop' s  House,  M  alines, 

May  23,  19 1 6. 
To  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Chief  of  the  Political  Depart- 
ment, Governor  General,  Brussels. 

My  dear  Baron:  As  a  result  of  the  confidential  con- 
versation that  his  Excellency  the  Nuncio  of  Brussels  has 
had  the  honor  to  have  with  you  and  of  which  he  was  good 
enough  to  inform  me,  I  have  personally  supported  Madame 
Wibin's  *  request  to  his  Excellency  the  Governor  General, 
Baron  von  Bissing.  I  am  confident  that  this  request  will 
be  favorably  received  and  I  thank  you  beforehand  for  the 
kindness  with  which  you  have  promised  to  support  it. 

But  I  beg  for  more  than  this.  I  ask  for  your  support 
on  behalf  of  other  matters  affecting  public  order  and  which 
deeply  concern  me.  Numerous  priests  engaged  in  teaching, 
notably  the  rector  and  prefect  of  studies  of  St.  Michael's 
College,  the  director  and  several  professors  of  St.  Louis's 
Institute  at  Brussels,  are  already  in  prison  or  threatened 
with  imprisonment.  You  are  aware  that  our  teaching  staff  is 
already  greatly  reduced,  as  several  of  our  professors^  are  in 
the  army  engaged  as  ambulance-bearers  or  chaplains.  If 
the  military  authorities  continue  to  persecute  our  clergy,  we 
shall  be  compelled  to  face  the  painful  contingency  of  hav- 
ing to  close  our  ecclesiastical  colleges. 

I  particularly  call  your  attention  and  the  clemency  of 
the  Governor  General  to  this  situation  at  the  moment  when 


Note — Madame  Wibin  was  asking  for  a  passport  to  Switzerland. 


PATRIOTIC  ACTION  OF  PRIESTS  209 


the  military  prosecutor  is  asking  for  years  of  imprisonment 
against  the  director  and  teachers  of  St.  Louis's  Institute. 

Receive,  Baron,  the  expression  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  Chief  of  the  Political  Department  of  the  Government 
General  of  Belgium, 

Brussels,  May  31st,  1916. 
To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

In  answer  to  your  Eminence's  esteemed  letter  of  the 
23rd  inst.,  I  have  the  honor  to  inform  you  that  I  have 
given  my  support  to  Madame  Wibin's  request  to  the  Gov- 
ernor General  and  also  that  this  will  be  granted. 

The  incidents  that  took  place  at  St.  Louis's  Institute  are 
seized  by  your  Eminence  as  an  occasion  for  reopening  the 
question  of  putting  the  clergy  under  arrest.  If  your  Emi- 
nence will  allow  me  to  speak  frankly,  a  fresh  exchange  of 
views  is  in  no  way  unacceptable  to  me.  In  fact,  ever  since 
the  beginning  of  the  occupation  this  question  has  interested 
the  German,  quite  as  keenly  as  it  has  the  ecclesiastical,  au- 
thorities. It  appears  to  me,  nevertheless,  that  up  to  the 
present  your  Eminence  has  not  grasped  quite  accurately 
the  point  of  view  from  which  the  occupying  power  regards 
the  matter.  Even  in  your  last  letter  you  make  use  of  the  ex- 
pression, "persecution  of  the  clergy." 

In  no  case  can  it  be  a  question  of  persecution.  When 
clergymen  are  condemned  this  is  in  virtue  of  the  enforcement 
of  laws  and  decrees  before  which  everybody  stands  on  an 
equality.  The  military  courts  take  cognizance  of  wrong- 
doing, no  matter  who  the  culprit  may  be.  It  would  be  a 
flagrant  injustice  for  us  to  accord  special  privileges  to  the 
clergy.  To  grant  them  after  conviction,  systematically,  so 
to  say,  the  remission  of  their  punishment  would  be  to  ride 
straight  toward  the  overthrow  of  justice. 

Naturally  your  Eminence  draws  attention  to  the  injury 
caused  to  ecclesiastical  education,  and  you  find  therein  an 
adequate  reason  for  claiming  exceptions  in  favor  of  the 
clergy.   The  gravity  of  this  reason  must  not  be  disregarded. 


2io     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


But  it  is  precisely  for  that  reason  that,  according  to  my 
view,  priests  should,  first  and  foremost,  attend  to  the  per- 
formance of  their  duties  and  not  to  run  the  risk  of  condem- 
nation. I  think  I  am  all  the  better  authorized  to  speak  in 
this  way,  seeing  that  their  crimes,  all  things  considered,  bear 
forsooth  the  character  of  political  demonstration. 

In  taking  severe  steps  against  clergymen  who  are  guilty 
of  any  infringement  of  the  law,  the  judicial  authorities  of 
the  occupying  power  do  not  apply  any  principle  which  is  not 
in  keeping  with  Belgian  legislation.  The  penal  code  ex- 
pressly punishes  attacks  made  in  the  course  of  religious  serv- 
ices, either  against  the  government  or  against  an  act  of  pub- 
lic authority. 

I  need  hardly  tell  your  Eminence  that  no  one  more  than 
the  Governor  General  deplores  the  necessity  of  enforcing 
the  code  against  priests.  He  regrets  to  see  the  clergy 
thus  losing  the  respect  and  sullying  the  dignity  appertaining 
to  the  ecclesiastical  state.  For  this  reason  it  is  most  desir- 
able that  for  the  future  priests  should  not  commit  any  breach 
of  the  law  and  that  thus  the  occupying  power  should  not  be 
constrained  to  inflict  punishment  on  them.  As  justice  must 
pursue  its  course  with  impartiality,  it  is  only  by  preventing 
measures  that  it  is  possible  to  avoid  the  consequences  re- 
sulting from  the  political  action  of  the  clergy,  and  to  gain 
that  end  there  is  only  one  means,  namely,  that  ecclesiastical 
authority  should  see  to  it  that  the  clergy  confine  themselves 
to  their  religious  duties. 

The  Governor  General  has  previously  tried  to  gain  some 
co-operation  toward  this  end.  I  may  inform  your  Eminence 
that  he  is  inclined  to  give  it  another  trial.  With  this  end 
in  view,  he  is  about  to  address  a  letter  to  the  bishops.  He 
will  explain  the  situation  to  them  and  will  entreat  them  to 
influence  their  inferiors,  in  order  to  bring  crimes  and  con- 
demnations to  an  end. 

I  should  be  content  could  I  hope  that  my  frank  and 
straightforward  explanation  might  contribute  to  dissipate  all 
evident  misunderstandings.  The  occupying  power,  I  per- 
mit myself  to  repeat,  much  regrets  being  obliged  to  condemn 
guilty  priests  chiefly  because  it  sees  in  the  clergy  représenta- 


PATRIOTIC  ACTION  OF  PRIESTS  211 


tives  of  the  social  order,  the  moral  authority  of  which  should 
remain  unimpaired. 

As,  on  the  other  hand,  the  ecclesiastical  authorities  real- 
ize that  these  convictions  entail  grave  inconveniences,  I  can- 
not help  openly  stating  to  your  Eminence  that  in  all  this  I 
would  like  to  keep  in  view  our  common  interests.  I  also 
think  that  my  straightforward  language  cannot  but  favor 
mutual  understanding  and  perhaps  promote  a  collaboration 
in  which  neither  party  would  sacrifice  anything  to  the  other. 

I  present  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  dis- 
tinguished consideration  and  have  the  honor  to  be  yours 
very  devotedly, 

(Signed)  Lancken. 

Political  Department  of  the  Government  General  of  Bel- 
gium. Brussels,  June  3,  19 16. 
To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

I  have  the  honor  to  inform  your  Eminence  that  at  the 
moment  of  forwarding  you  my  letter  of  May  31,1  had  not 
then  learned  of  the  following  case  ;  that  is  the  only  reason 
why  I  did  not  mention  it.  Last  Sunday  a  solemn  religious 
ceremony  took  place  in  the  Cathedral  of  Antwerp  in  the 
presence  of  your  Eminence. 

The  sermon  which  was  preached  on  the  occasion  by 
Frere  Pauwels  turned  in  great  part  on  purely  political  topics. 
I  do  not  wish  to  enter  into  details,  but  simply  to  state  the 
fact  that  the  preacher  departed  manifestly  from  his  religious 
functions,  and  that  the  presence  of  your  Eminence  lent  to 
this  manifestation  a  special  significance.  It  will  be  difficult 
for  other  priests  not  to  perceive  in  this  sermon  an  encour- 
aging example.  Accordingly  the  occupying  power  cannot 
allow  this  incident  to  pass  unnoticed,  and  it  should  at  any 
rate  have  the  assurance  that  Frere  Pauwels  has  been  in- 
vited by  his  ecclesiastical  superiors  to  limit  his  activity  to  his 
religious  duties. 

Up  to  now  I  have  mentioned  this  incident  to  no  one.  In 
the  general  interest  I  should  be  glad  to  learn  that  your  Emi- 


212     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


nence  has  taken  care  to  restrain  Frere  Pauwels  from  indulg- 
ing for  the  future  in  like  manifestations. 

(Signed)  Lancken. 

Archbishop1  s  House,  M  alines, 

June  8,  1916. 

To  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Chief  of  the  Political  Depart- 
ment, Government  General,  Brussels. 

My  dear  Baron — I  am  very  grateful  to  you  for  having 
seconded  my  request  in  favor  of  Madame  Wibin  and  her 
children  and  I  shall  be  pleased  if  you  kindly  convey  my 
thanks  to  the  Governor  General. 

I  was  given  permission  some  months  ago  to  visit  two 
priests  imprisoned  at  St.  Gilles.  At  this  moment  several 
priests  of  my  diocese  are  detained  in  the  same  prison,  nota- 
bly* unless  I  am  mistaken,  Frere  Devroye,  Canon  Cocheteux, 
the  Curates  Wittemberg  and  Van  Houdt,  perhaps  others 
whose  names  have  not  reached  me. 

I  shall  have  several  hours  of  leisure  at  Brussels  on  Wed- 
nesday, June  21.  You  would  greatly  oblige  me  if  you 
could  authorize  me  to  visit  on  that  day  at  4  p.  m.  (German 
time)  the  priests  of  my  diocese  detained  in  the  prison  of 
St.  Gilles. 

I  shall  have  the  honor  of  answering  separately  the 
questions  of  general  interest  which  your  despatches  No. 
5035  and  No.  5920  treat  of. 

Accept,  Baron,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Archbishop9 s  House,  Malines, 

June  24th,  19 1 6. 
To  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Chief  of  the  Political  Depart- 
ment, Government  General,  Brussels. 
My  dear  Baron — The  letter  I.  5035,  which  you  did  me 
the  honor  to  write  on  May  31st,  answers  very  courteously 
the  considerations  contained  in  my  letter  of  May  23  rela- 
tive to  the  severe  treatment  meted  out,  especially  of  late,  to 
the  clergy. 


PATRIOTIC  ACTION  OF  PRIESTS  213 


It  never  once  entered  my  head  to  beg  privileges  for  the 
clergy,  nor  the  systematic  exercise,  on  your  part,  of  the  pre- 
rogative of  pardon.  When  a  punishment  is  justified  and 
deserved  priests  courageously  submit  to  it  without  mur- 
muring. If,  indeed,  the  military  tribunals  confine  themselves 
to  enforcing,  as  regards  the  clergy,  the  provisions  of  the 
Belgian  code,  to  which  your  esteemed  letter  alludes,  we 
should  not  think  of  complaining. 

The  letter  of  May  23rd  has  in  view  a  complex  situation 
where  many  surprising  incidents  synchronize.  Thus  at  cer- 
tain epochs,  following  upon  events  that  have  no  connection 
with  anything  criminal,  justice  suddenly  redoubles  alike  its 
zeal  in  seeking  for  real  or  imaginary  infringements  of  regu- 
lations and  its  severity  in  repressing  them.  We  find  our- 
selves during  these  last  months  in  the  presence  of  an  acute 
crisis  of  judicial  activity.  Perquisitions,  preventive  arrests, 
convictions  have  kept  increasing,  while  the  clergy  has  made 
no  change  in  its  previous  attitude. 

Then  there  are  certain  proceedings  of  which  I  submit 
two  specimens  to  your  consideration.  A  seminiarist  on 
Easter  Monday  was  going  on  his  holiday.  At  the  railway 
station  of  Enghien  his  luggage  was  examined;  he  was  then 
taken  to  Braine-le-Comte  and  from  there  to  Mons,  where 
he  was  condemned  and  imprisoned  for  several  days,  merely 
for  taking  with  him  some  photographs  of  his  Cardinal-Arch- 
bishop. 

M.  Van  Houdt,  curate  at  Tervueren,  had  already  under- 
gone a  year's  imprisonment  at  St.  Gilles  on  the  charge  of 
having  furnished  a  young  man,  who  wished  to  join  our 
army,  with  information  about  the  route.  His  detention  hav- 
ing come  to  an  end,  the  good  priest  had  just  peacefully  re- 
sumed his  ministry.  But  the  German  authorities,  recollect- 
ing that  he  had  formerly  in  January,  19 15,  refused  to  give 
an  undertaking  not  to  read  from  the  pulpit  the  Pastoral 
entitled  "Patriotism  and  Endurance,"  did  not  hesitate  to 
make  him  face  a  second  time  the  alternative  of  paying  a  fine 
of  100  marks  or  undergoing  a  week's  imprisonment.  At 
the  present  moment  the  worthy  curate  of  Tervueren  is  in 
prison. 


214     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


I  thank  you,  Baron,  for  having  been  so  good  as  to  in- 
trust to  me  by  your  esteemed  letter  of  June  3rd  (No.  5020) , 
the  duty  of  looking  into  the  case  of  Frere  Pauwels.  As  I 
was  present  at  Frere  Pauwels's  sermon,  I  am  in  a  position 
to  speak  to  you  of  it  with  complete  knowledge  of  the  sub- 
ject. 

The  Rev.  Frere  did  not  attack  the  occupying  power. 
On  the  contrary,  he  expressly  declared  that  he  would  re- 
frain from  uttering  one  single  offensive  word  and  make  it 
his  duty,  if  overcome  by  emotion,  to  restrain  the  ardor  of 
his  patriotism. 

He  had  taken  for  the  subject  of  his  discourse  an  explana- 
tion of  the  encyclical  "Rerum  novarum"  of  Leo  XIII  on 
the  condition  of  the  working  classes.  The  gathering,  in- 
deed, had  been  called  to  celebrate  the  twenty-fifth  anniver- 
sary of  the  promulgation  of  this  pontifical  encyclical. 

The  preacher  had  chosen  for  his  text  these  words  of 
the  Sermon  on  the  Mount:  uBlessed  are  those  who  hunger 
and  thirst  after  justice."  That  was  his  exordium.  Then 
at  once,  directing  his  thoughts  toward  the  Socialists,  he  af- 
firmed and  established  the  natural  necessity  of  social  in- 
equality, and  with  some  warmth  demanded  that  it  should  be 
respected  by  all,  as  the  expression  of  the  order  established 
by  Providence.  He  traced  out  for  masters  and  workmen 
their  mutual  duties  in  the  interest  of  social  peace. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  understand  that  chance  hearers, 
ignorant  of  the  purpose  of  the  meeting  and  ignorant  in  con- 
sequence of  the  social  aims  which  actuated  the  audience, 
might  have  misunderstood  and  applied  to  the  international 
struggles  what  the  preacher  said  of  the  struggles  of  classes  ; 
but  the  faithful  carefully  following  the  speaker  could  not 
fall  into  that  mistake. 

I  did,  nevertheless,  fear  the  confusion  of  thought,  which, 
according  to  the  report  with  which  you  were  furnished,  did 
actually  arise.  I  therefore  requested  Frere  Pauwels  to 
come  and  see  me,  and  I  recommended  him  for  the  future  to 
give  his  thoughts  and  his  language  greater  precision,  for 
the  subjective  dispositions  and  susceptibilities  of  the  present 


PATRIOTIC  ACTION  OF  PRIESTS  215 


hour  are  also  facts  which  a  prudent  preacher  should  con- 
sider. 

I  have  received,  my  dear  Baron,  the  letter  you  spoke 
of  from  the  Governor  General.*  I  shall  do  well,  I  think, 
in  deferring  my  answer  to  his  Excellency,  to  reserve  till 
then  the  examination  of  the  questions  which  your  corre- 
spondence only  touches  incidentally. 

Receive,  dear  sir,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Political  Department  of  the  Government  General  of  Bel- 
gium. 

Brussels,  June  16th,  19 16. 
To   His   Eminence   Cardinal   Mercier,   Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

I  have  the  honor  in  answer  to  your  Eminence's  two 
esteemed  letters,  dated  the  8th  inst.,  to  make  the  following 
communication. 

The  Governor  General  gives  you  the  permission  which 
you  ask  for,  to  visit  the  prison  of  St.  Gilles,  where  the 
priests  Devroye,  Cocheteux  and  Wittemberg  are  detained. 
As  Frere  Devroye  has  been  summoned  to  appear  before  the 
tribunal  of  Charleroi  for  a  suit  fixed  for  June  19th,  it 
will  depend  on  the  length  of  the  pleadings  whether  or  not 
he  will  be  back  by  the  21st.  I  cannot  be  quite  sure  that  the 
Curate  Wittemberg  will  be  in  prison  on  that  day.  The 
Curate  Van  Houdt  has  been  at  liberty  since  June  6th.  He 
had  been  arrested  to  undergo  punishment  to  which  he  was 
sentenced  in  January,  19 15. 

I  ask  your  Eminence  to  note  that  only  prisoners  who 
have  already  been  convicted  can  receive  visits.  This  per- 
mission is  not  granted  to  those  who  are  awaiting  trial. 

Your  Eminence  speaks  of  a  seminarist  of  Malines.  Ac- 
cording to  precise  information,  I  can  certify  that  you  have 
been  totally  misinformed.  How  could  difficulties  be  created 
for  a  seminarist  on  the  plea  of  his  carrying  on  his  person 
the  photograph  of  his  Cardinal  at  a  time  when  this  por- 

*  Note — This  letter  is  reproduced  later  on. 


2i6     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


trait  is  exposed  for  sale  at  all  the  bookstalls  without  the 
slightest  opposition  from  the  Governor  General? 

If  the  seminarist  was  arrested,  it  was  not  on  account 
of  portraits  which  he  had,  but  because  his  identity  papers 
were  not  in  order.  When  the  competent  authorities  had 
ascertained  his  identity  he  was  set  at  liberty.  He  was  not 
compelled  to  appear  before  any  tribunal. 

I  ask  myself  if,  in  certain  reports  furnished  to  your 
Eminence  regarding  various  incidents,  it  is  not  needful  to 
take  account  of  "subjective  dispositions"  or  personal  ties 
of  which  your  Eminence  speaks  in  regard  to  Frere  Pau- 
wels.  At  any  rate,  it  appears  that  the  objective  reasons 
of  the  occupying  power's  procedure  are  seldom  regarded 
from  a  wholly  impartial  standpoint. 

Concerning  the  sermon  complained  of,  which  was 
preached  by  Frere  Pauwels,  the  Governor  General,  to  whom 
I  have  made  a  report,  has  learned  with  satisfaction  of  your 
Eminence's  speedy  intervention.  He  hopes  the  results  of 
this  intervention  will  continue  to  make  themselves  felt. 

I  present  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem.    Yours  devotedly, 

(Signed)  LANCKEN. 

Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

June  2$th,  1916. 
To  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Chief  of  the  Political  Depart- 
ment, Government  General,  Brussels. 

My  dear  Baron — I  am  very  grateful  for  the  permission 
you  obtained  for  me  to  visit  MM.  Cocheteux  and  Wittem- 
berg  detained  at  the  prison  of  St.  Gilles.  It  was  a  consola- 
tion to  see  them  again.  As  you  had  conjectured,  Frere 
Devroye  was  still  at  Charleroi.  I  presume  that  the  permis- 
sion already  granted  me  is  available  for  the  next  occasion 
I  may  have  to  see  him. 

Would  you  be  kind  enough  to  say  to  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral for  me  that  I  am  pleased  he  did  not  pursue  Frere 
Pauwels'  case  any  further. 

Let  me  assure  you,  Baron,  that  you  have  received  a  mis- 
leading report  of  the  incident  mentioned  in  my  letter  of  the 


PATRIOTIC  ACTION  OF  PRIESTS  217 


8th,  regarding  the  seminarist,  Emile  Mertens.  It  may  be 
that  the  ultimate  finding  of  the  court  in  the  case  of  this  sem- 
inarist does  not  mention  the  circumstance  that  he  carried 
portraits  of  his  archbishop  ;  but  the  examination  at  Enghien 
and  Braine-le-Comte  dwelt  long  and  pointedly  on  this  fact. 
The  student  was  arrested  April  24th  at  Enghien,  detained 
at  Braine-le-Comte  the  25th,  taken  to  prison  at  Mons  the 
26th  and  before  being  set  at  liberty,  which  was  on  the  28th, 
he  had  to  undergo  a  fresh  examination,  which  had  nothing 
whatever  to  do  with  the  previous  examination.  It  is  very 
likely  that  you  have  received  only  information  regarding  this 
last. 

You  are  quite  right  in  pointing  out  that  my  portrait  is 
on  sale  in  the  shops,  but  you  seem  to  be  unaware  that  this 
sale  was  more  than  once  forbidden,  especially  during  a 
definite  period  at  Namur  and  Dinant.  But  this  is  very 
unimportant  and  I  have  never  complained  of  it  to  any  one, 
my  sole  object  being  to  call  your  attention  to  certain  vexa- 
tions and  petty  doings  of  underlings. 

Receive,  Baron,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

While  this  correspondence  was  taking  place  between 
the  Cardinal  and  Baron  von  der  Lancken  relative  to  the 
attitude  of  the  occupying  power  toward  priests,  the  Gov- 
ernor General,  on  his  part,  began  a  correspondence  on  the 
same  subject.  If  any  of  the  clergy  are  prosecuted  and  con- 
victed, it  is  due,  he  maintains,  to  their  transgressing  the 
German  decrees  and  taking  advantage  of  their  priestly  min- 
istry to  trespass  on  the  domain  of  politics.  To  this  charge 
the  Cardinal  replies  by  proving  that  the  clergy  does  not  step 
outside  its  province  while  maintaining  the  patriotism  of  the 
people  and  preaching  love  of  country  and  Belgian  lib- 
erty. 

As  it  progressed,  the  debate  widened  and  extended  to 
the  rights  of  the  occupying  power,  a  question  which  was  the 
subject  of  the  long  controversy  between  the  Cardinal  and 
Baron  von  der  Lancken  related  in  the  preceding  chapter. 


2i8     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Government  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 

June  4th,  1916. 
To    His   Eminence    Cardinal    Mercier,    Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

Your  Eminence  will  agree  with  me  in  regretting  the 
breaches  committed  by  priests  against  the  occupying  power 
and  the  convictions  that  have  been  the  inevitable  result. 
From  the  petitions  for  pardon  addressed  to  me  I  am  bound 
to  infer  that  a  multitude  of  hardships  arise  from  the  fact 
that  priests  have  to  be  torn  from  their  ministry  to  go  and 
suffer  the  penalties  incurred.  These  convictions  must  be- 
yond measure  be  regretted,  since  the  respect  and  dignity 
belonging  to  the  priestly  state  are  thereby  impaired.  Yet 
the  people  do  not  cease  repeating  that  the  fire  of  patriotism 
is  a  valid  excuse  for  these  priests.  On  the  other  hand,  they 
try  to  find  extenuating  circumstances  for  them  by  saying 
that  they  are  constrained  to  respond  to  the  patriotic  spirit  of 
the  population,  even  though  they  are  aware  that  by  acting 
in  this  manner  they  are  transgressing  my  regulations. 

I  must  declare  that  this  opinion  misconstrues  completely 
the  juridical  position  of  the  population  in  the  occupied  ter- 
ritory toward  the  occupying  power.  For  The  Hague  con- 
vention (Article  XLIII),  which  imposes  on  me  the  duty  of 
watching  over  the  good  order  and  well-being  of  the  country, 
was  ratified  in  19 10  by  the  representatives  of  Belgium. 

It  has  thus  the  binding  force  of  a  law  of  the  land, 
to  which  all  the  population,  the  clergy  included,  are  bound 
to  submit. 

I  should  have  to  reproach  myself  with  breaking  the 
law  if  for  special  reasons  I  agree  to  make  an  exception  in 
favor  of  the  clergy.  In  the  administration  of  justice,  the 
law  does  not  allow  any  distinction  of  persons.  I  should 
place  myself  in  conflict  with  the  prerogative  of  pardon  if 
I  consented  to  remit  altogether  in  favor  of  the  condemned 
the  punishment  inflicted  on  them,  without,  at  the  same  time, 
taking  into  account  that  the  case  of  certain  culpable  priests, 
who  have  been  brought  to  trial,  exclude  every  act  of  par- 
don. There  is  but  one  way  for  priests  to  avoid  these  con- 
demnations; they  must  observe  a  calm  attitude  and  not 


PATRIOTIC  ACTION  OF  PRIESTS  219 


meddle  in  politics.  And  it  is  on  that  account  that  I  appeal 
to  your  Eminence  and  beg  of  you  to  prevail  on  your  sub- 
ordinates, in  the  exercise  of  their  ministry  and  in  their  gen- 
eral conduct,  to  abstain  from  all  political  activity,  and  still 
more  not  to  render  themselves  guilty  of  grave  breaches  of 
regulations.  I  attach  the  utmost  importance  to  this,  that 
they  keep  from  circulating  clandestine  publications,  an  of- 
fense of  which  latterly  they  have  often  been  guilty. 

May  I  implore  your  Eminence  to  inform  me  If  I  can 
count  on  your  co-operation  for  this  object?  Moreover,  I 
only  ask  for  the  observance  of  the  pledges  which  the  bishops 
have  given  for  the  correctness  of  the  clergy's  attitude. 

I  present  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Lieutenant  General. 

Archbishop*  s  House,  M  alines, 

June  23d,  19 1 6. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Your  Excellency  kindly  writes  in  your  esteemed  letter 
of  June  4th  (No.  5139)  that  you  deplore  the  penalties 
inflicted  on  our  priests  by  the  military  tribunals.  But,  as 
to  these  penalties,  you  regard  them  as  fully  justified,  because 
necessary  for  the  maintenance  of  public  order,  of  which  The 
Hague  convention  intrusts  to  you  the  keeping. 

The  clergy,  moreover,  can  lay  no  claim  to  a  privilege 
that  would  withdraw  them  from  justice,  nor  to  a  continu- 
ous application  of  a  right  to  pardon.  There  is  only  one 
method  by  which  the  clergy  can  escape  judicial  penalties, 
namely,  to  abstain  from  political  action.  Your  Excellency 
begs  my  co-operation  for  the  attainment  of  this  result;  and 
you  appeal  to  the  understanding  come  to  by  the  Belgian 
bishops,  in  the  name  of  the  clergy,  with  the  occupying 
power. 

Such  is,  I  believe,  a  faithful  summary  of  the  dispatch 
of  June  4th  to  which  my  ministerial  engagements  have  to 
my  regret  hindered  me  from  replying  sooner. 


220     CARDINAL  MERCIERES  OWN  STORY 


Your  Excellency  has  good  reason  to  deplore  the  severe 
treatment  which  our  priests  have  to  suffer.  I  also  render 
homage  to  the  loftiness  of  this  sentiment  and  I  share  it 
with  you  very  heartily. 

With  you  I  am  concerned  for  the  public  order,  but 
I  do  not  agree  with  you  as  to  the  means  of  safeguarding  it. 
The  bishops  and  the  clergy  have  a  duty  to  be  the  foremost 
upholders  of  order.  They  know  it,  but  they  know  also  that 
Belgium,  their  country,  is  still,  thank  God,  independent  and 
that  it  would  be  iniquitous  and  rash  to  treat  it  like  a  con- 
quered country. 

Germany,  which  today  occupies  a  very  great  portion  of 
our  provinces,  but  which  the  fortune  of  war  may  tomorrow 
drive  back  across  our  borders,  is  a  belligerent  nation.  Bel- 
gium is  also  a  belligerent  nation.  Neither  of  the  two  is 
victorious  ;  neither  has  the  right  to  enslave  the  other. 

In  spite  of  the  military  occupation  of  a  great  part  of 
her  provinces,  our  Belgian  fatherland  has  not  ceased  to  be 
of  right  an  autonomous  sovereign  nation.  Our  respect  and 
love  for  the  soil  and  for  our  Belgian  liberties  are  then  for 
all  of  us  an  honor  and  a  duty.  To  realize  this  honor  and 
to  preach  this  duty  forms  part  of  the  clergy's  social  mis- 
sion. In  these  troubled  times  in  which  we  live  each  soul  has 
the  right  to  ask  of  his  pastor:  What  is  my  duty?  Who 
represents  in  my  case  authority?  What  have  I  to  do  to 
render  to  God  the  things  that  are  of  God  and  to  Caesar  the 
things  that  are  Caesar's? 

Well,  sir,  apart  from  some  heated  expressions  which 
escape  at  times  from  even  the  most  cautious,  in  the  heat  of 
delivery  and  which  cannot  be  taken  literally  when  it  is  a 
question  of  estimating  the  general  spirit  of  a  social  class, 
the  preaching  of  the  clergy  has  not  overstepped,  in  safe- 
guarding patriotism,  the  limits  which  I  have  just  defined.  A 
score  of  times  I  have  personally  examined  the  sermons  that 
have  been  denounced  by  the  civil  authority  or  by  the  mili- 
tary courts.  I  have  always  found  that  the  accused  preacher 
had  simply  affirmed,  without  affront  to  the  occupying  power, 
that  the  Belgian  fatherland  is  whole  and  united,  that  the 


PATRIOTIC  ACTION  OF  PRIESTS  221 


sole  legitimate  authority  for  the  Belgian  conscience  is  King 
Albert,  his  government,  his  magistracy  and  his  army. 

Were  you  willing,  Excellency,  to  grasp  this  elementary 
truth  of  jurisprudence,  the  conflicts  between  us  would  come 
to  an  end. 

Your  predecessor,  the  late  Baron  von  der  Goltz,  had 
understood  it.  It  is  a  rash  thing  for  you  to  wish  to  do 
violence  to  the  noblest  feeling  of  a  people's  conscience.  "I 
ask  of  no  one,"  he  said  in  a  proclamation  issued  at  Brus- 
sels, September  2d,  19 14,  "I  ask  of  no  one  to  renounce 
his  patriotic  sentiments." 

Your  Excellency  has  not  disavowed  this  noble  procla- 
mation. 

It  is  in  showing  respect  for  our  patriotic  feelings  that 
the  occupying  power  will  find  the  most  solid  guarantee  for 
public  order.  The  Belgian  bishops  anticipated  this  respect 
when,  on  February  5th,  19 15,  in  the  agreement  to  which 
your  letter  alludes,  they  wrote:  "The  bishops  have  no  in- 
tention to  strike  a  blow  at  public  order  ;  and  if  ever  a  mem- 
ber of  the  clergy  were  in  this  regard  forgetful  of  his  duty, 
or  if  the  German  authorities  regarded  him  as  such,  we  ask 
but  one  thing,  namely,  that  the  case  be  brought  before  the 
bishop  of  the  diocese  to  which  this  member  of  the  clergy 
is  found  to  belong." 

Your  Excellency  appeals  to  Article  XLIII  of  The 
Hague  convention  and  reminds  us  that  Belgium  was  a 
party  thereto.  We  are  aware  of  it.  We  make  all  the 
articles  of  the  convention  our  own  and  earnestly  demand 
their  application.  But  this  Article  XLIII  precisely  requires 
the  occupying  power  to  insure  as  far  as  possible  public  order 
"by  respecting,  except  in  the  case  of  absolute  necessity,  the 
laws  in  force  in  the  country  occupied." 

Apply  to  us  the  Belgian  constitution  wherever  it  refers 
to  the  liberty  of  religious  preaching,  bring  before  our  ec- 
clesiastical court  doubtful  cases.  In  this  way  you  will  do 
what  is  most  prudent  and  most  just  to  insure  the  order  of 
public  life,  "by  respecting,  save  in  absolute  necessity,  the 
laws  in  force  in  the  country." 

Has  not  the  method  adopted  by  the  Belgian  episcopate 


222     CARDINAL  MBRCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


and  followed  by  the  clergy  established  its  reputation?  Very 
soon  two  years  will  have  elapsed  since  our  people  have  had 
to  put  up  with  the  foreigner,  his  requisitions,  his  domiciliary 
visits,  his  threats,  his  condemnations;  but  not  a  single  revo- 
lutionary blow  has  been  struck.  Not  one  of  your  soldiers 
has  been  molested. 

In  my  own  turn,  Baron,  I  confidently  state  my  con- 
clusions. We  are  bound  both  of  us,  one  in  the  civil  and 
military  order,  the  other  in  the  religious  and  moral  order, 
to  work  together  for  the  public  welfare.  As  our  point  of 
departure  let  us  take  the  law,  I  mean  the  law  both  natural 
and  international,  which  recognizes  the  moral  sovereignty  of 
Belgium  as  a  country.  Without  attacking  the  occupying 
power  and  beyond  any  danger  of  revolt,  let  this  Christian 
patriotism  be  maintained  which,  in  a  pastoral  letter  long 
before  the  war,  I  did  not  hesitate  to  call  a  religious  virtue, 
i.  e.,  "the  piety  of  patriotism." 

I  do  not  deny  that  you  have  your  part  to  play  when 
you  close  all  avenues  leading  abroad,  and  you  arrest  those 
of  our  fellow  countrymen  who  attempt  to  cross  the  fron- 
tiers ;  but  do  not  treat  as  traitors  these  heroic  young  fellows 
who,  at  the  risk  of  their  liberty  and  their  life,  have  the 
ambition  to  go  and  enroll  themselves  in  our  armies.  Toler- 
ate no  longer  the  military  courts  that  regard  the  purest  civic 
virtue  as  treason. 

No  longer  condemn  the  teachers  of  youth  for  having 
approved,  or  for  not  having  disapproved,  a  legitimate  de- 
sire for  the  exercise  of  valor;  do  not  inflict  imprisonment 
or  fine  for  their  failing  to  denounce  to  the  vengeance  of 
your  tribunals  a  pupil,  perhaps  a  spiritual  son. 

No  longer  make  it  a  crime  for  generous  souls  to  refuse 
a  morsel  of  bread,  an  alms,  a  temporary  shelter  to  the 
man  of  the  people  who  tears  himself  away  from  his  fire- 
side to  fly  to  the  defense  of  his  fatherland.  Do  not  punish 
charity. 

Do  not  set  traps  for  noble  young  fellows  by  inviting 
them  to  furnish  or  transmit  correspondence  or  uncensored 
documents  to  keep  recruits  and  to  betray  companions  in 
misfortune. 


PATRIOTIC  ACTION  OF  PRIESTS  223 


When  a  wretched  young  fellow  is  arrested,  do  not  use- 
lessly prolong  his  preventive  detention.  Grant  him  counsel 
to  sustain  him  and  to  defend  him  before  his  judges.  He 
has  that  right;  see  to  it  that  there  is  some  proportion 
between  the  crime  and  the  penalty.  Stop  the  promiscuous 
awarding  of  penal  servitude,  the  pain  of  death,  as  deterrent 
to  breaches  of  the  law. 

We  claim  for  the  clergy  neither  exceptional  regulations 
nor  a  systematic  application  of  the  right  of  pardon.  We 
only  want  a  genuine  interpretation  of  the  law. 

Is  it  not  astounding,  in  truth,  that  Belgians  are  reduced 
to  ask  for  strict  justice? 

When  the  German  army  invaded  our  territory,  the 
Chancellor  of  the  empire  avowed  in  the  face  of  the  world 
that  Germany  was  violating  our  rights;  he  promised  to  leave 
nothing  undone  to  repair  our  wrongs.  It  is  not  then  the 
simple  respect  for  justice  that  we  ought  to  look  for  at  her 
hands  but  earnest  good-will,  a  spirit  of  reparation,  an  ef- 
ficacious desire  to  reduce  for  us  to  a  minimum  all  the  dis- 
agreeable consequences  of  an  occupation  unjustifiable  from 
its  very  inception. 

Receive,  sir,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Government  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 
P.  A.  /.  5898.  June  2$th,  1916. 

To   His   Eminence    Cardinal    Mercier,    Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

I  acknowledge  receipt  of  your  Eminence's  esteemed  let- 
ter of  the  23rd  inst.  First  of  all,  to  avoid  all  confusion, 
I  ask  you  to  note  that  in  my  letter  of  June  4th  (No.  5193) 
I  did  not  deplore  the  severe  and  deserved  condemnations 
incurred  by  priests  before  military  courts;  I  simply  mani- 
fested my  lively  regret  to  discover  that  in  certain  dioceses, 
in  spite  of  all  my  efforts  to  get  superior  ecclesiastics  to  in- 
fluence the  priests  subject  to  them,  the  number  of  breaches 
against  my  regulations  committed  by  members  of  the  clergy 
had  not  diminished. 


224     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Even  lately  ecclesiastics  have  not  hesitated  to  profane 
the  sacred  character  of  their  churches  by  poisoning  therein 
the  spirit  of  the  Belgian  people  and  inspiring  it  with  hatred. 
From  the  pulpit  they  have  hurled  against  my  country  and 
the  occupying  power  insults  and  baseless  accusations.  They 
ought  to  be  punished  for  having  been,  if  not  the  authors, 
at  least  the  propagators  of  publications  vilely  insulting. 

We  could  not  tolerate  the  assistance  given  by  priests 
to  secret  organizations  having  for  their  object  to  injure 
Germany  and  increase  the  forces  of  our  enemies  already 
so  considerable,  by  permitting  Belgians  of  military  age  to 
cross  the  frontier. 

Although  I  do  not  indulge  the  hope  that  these  fresh 
declarations  will  result  in  changing  your  Eminence's  opinion 
on  the  grave  breaches  of  which  members  of  the  clergy 
never  cease  to  render  themselves  guilty,  yet  I  cannot  omit  a 
refutation  of  the  mistaken  notions  which  seem  to  form  the 
basis  of  your  judgment. 

I  regard  it  as  my  chief  duty  to  protect  most  energetic- 
ally, in  the  part  of  Belgium  which  we  occupy,  the  German 
interests  of  which  his  Majesty  the  Emperor  has  made  me 
the  guardian.  I  should  fail  in  this  duty  if  in  compliance 
with  your  Eminence's  wishes  I  refrained  from  prosecuting 
those  who  commit  acts  that  endanger  the  security  of  the 
empire  and  those  who  urge  the  people  to  commit  them. 

Be  also  impartial  enough,  my  Lord  Cardinal,  to  respect 
our  patriotic  feelings,  you  who  not  only  pay  homage  to 
the  patriotic  demonstrations  of  the  clergy  and  people  of 
Belgium  in  general,  but  encourage  them  in  circumstances 
which  are  of  a  nature  to  create  intolerable  situations.  As 
to  the  rest  of  my  letter,  I  feel  bound,  in  order  to  avoid  mis- 
understandings which  might  easily  have  unpleasant  conse- 
quence for  those  concerned,  to  make  the  following  state- 
ment :  During  the  occupation  the  only  legal  political  power 
in  the  occupied  territory  is  what  I  exercise.  To  this  power 
alone  is  obedience  due  and  not  to  the  king  of  the  Belgians 
and  his  government,  whose  power  in  the  occupied  ter- 
ritory is  in  fact  and  in  law  extinct.    Should  this  obedience 


PATRIOTIC  ACTION  OF  PRIESTS  225 


be  not  willingly  given,  I  am  then  compelled  to  exact  it  by 
the  enforcement  of  the  German  penal  laws. 

These  laws  are  applicable  to  all  the  inhabitants  of  the 
occupied  territory  without  any  exception  as  to  persons.  The 
courts  only  do  their  duty  when  they  enforce  these  laws 
justly  and  without  consideration  of  the  person  arraigned. 
According  to  the  principles  of  German  jurisprudence,  they 
must  not  yield  to  any  influence  nor  permit  themselves  to  be 
enticed  to  deliver  judgment  according  to  instructions. 

On  myself  alone  rests  the  responsibility  for  the  main- 
tenance of  order  and  the  welfare  of  the  population,  and  it 
belongs  to  me  alone  to  judge  of  the  fitness  of  the  steps 
that  must  be  taken  for  its  preservation.  I  have  never 
ceased  to  appreciate  the  Belgians'  patriotism  nor  have  I 
forbidden  its  legitimate  display. 

It  is  now  two  years  since  I  accepted  the  office  of  Gov- 
ernor General.  If  during  that  time  in  spite  of  the  incessant 
instigation  to  hatred  and  passive  resistance  against  the  state 
of  things  caused  by  the  occupation  the  Belgian  people  have 
remained  calm,  and,  as  I  acknowledge,  given  proof  of  being 
better  disposed  toward  us,  it  must  surely  be  ascribed  to  the 
steps  I  have  taken,  steps  that  are  just  but  which  necessity 
at  times  renders  severe.  In  so  doing  I  am  conscientiously 
performing  a  duty,  which  is  to  watch  over  the  welfare  of 
the  land  intrusted  to  my  care  and  the  fulfillment  of  which  I 
have  much  at  heart. 

I  present  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem.    Yours  devotedly, 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Lieutenant  General. 

Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

July  iith,  19 1 6. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General 
of  Belgium,  Brussels. 
Baron — I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of 
your  Excellency's  letter  of  June  28th.  In  the  mind  of  the 
writer  perhaps  that  letter  required  no  reply;  but  considered 
from  my  point  of  view  it  demands  some  explanations. 


226   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


First.  Your  Excellency  reverts  once  more  to  the  ser- 
mons of  the  clergy  and  censures  them  in  terms  which  Ï 
prefer  not  to  repeat.  But  why  has  your  Excellency  so 
brusquely  cut  short  a  correspondence  which  we  were  carrying 
on  in  regard  to  that  very  subject  and  which  you  yourself  had 
invited? 

You  have,  indeed,  at  various  times  brought  ill-defined 
charges  against  the  sermons  of  our  priests;  I  ventured  to 
ask  of  you  more  precise  accusations  and  in  several  cases  you 
did  not  refuse.  In  each  of  these  I  forthwith  held  an  in- 
quiry and  laid  the  results  before  you.  In  every  case  the' 
charges  were  proved  unfounded.  This  rebutting  method  of 
inquiry — the  only  means  of  shedding  light  on  the  case? 
under  consideration — happily  stopped  several  hasty  con- 
demnations. Would  it  then  be  equitable  or  wise  to  abandon 
now  this  mode  of  procedure  and  fall  back  upon  accusations 
which  cannot  be  investigated? 

Second.  Another  complaint.  Certain  members  of  the 
clergy  assist  lads  to  join  the  Belgian  army.  But  your  Ex- 
cellency surely  is  not  unaware  that  Belgium  and  Germany, 
through  no  fault  of  ours,  are  two  enemy  belligerent  na- 
tions? These  noble  souls  that  run  the  risk  of  the  most 
severe  punishments,  even  electrocution,  to  go  and  defend 
their  country,  can  you  impute  it  as  a  crime  to  a  priest  that 
he  should  share  this  admiration?  Some  of  these  brave 
youths  fall  by  the  way  victims  of  their  patriotic  bravery. 
Are  they  not  more  than  a  sufficient  ransom  for  your  mili- 
tary regulations? 

Others  reach  their  goal  and  add  a  few  units  to  the 
handful  of  soldiers  of  the  Yser,  but  can  they  cause  dis- 
quietude to  an  army  of  eight  and  a  half  million?  This 
last  remark  is  not  mine,  but  it  was  flung  at  us  months  ago 
by  one  of  your  most  prominent  chiefs.  It  was  not  the 
time  then  to  take  it  up. 

Third.  Your  Excellency  has,  you  say,  to  guard  German 
security,  "die  deutsche  Sicherheit,"  and  must  therefore  take 
account  of  every  act  likely  to  bring  about  unendurable  situa- 
tions, "unhaltbaren  Zustanden." 

Such  indefinite  expressions  are  not  of  a  kind  to  promote 


PATRIOTIC  ACTION  OF  PRIESTS  227 


the  understanding  for  which  your  Excellency  had  craved 
my  co-operation.  Certainly  the  Governor  General's  vigi- 
lance should  include  the  whole  army  of  occupation;  but 
should  it  sacrifice  thereto  the  Belgian  people?  Your  Ex- 
cellency is  kind  enough  to  repeat  that  you  have  at  heart 
the  welfare  of  the  country  intrusted  to  your  administration. 
A  country's  chief  blessing  is  its  liberty.  Treat,  I  pray  you, 
the  Belgians  as  a  nation  not  yet  conquered.  Do  not  exas- 
perate them  by  claiming  to  stifle  in  their  breasts  their  hopes 
of  a  better  time  to  come.  Your  vigilance  will  be  thereby 
less  frequently  demanded. 

We  too  are  concerned  to  reconcile  the  welfare  of  the 
Belgians  with  the  security  of  the  Germans,  for  we  aim 
at  respecting  the  rights  of  nations.  Thus  whatever  turn 
military  operations  may  one  day  take,  we  shall  preach  to 
our  people  what  we  have  preached  to  them  long  before  your 
regiments  ever  trod  the  Belgian  soil,  namely,  that  we  must 
commit  to  our  army  and  to  our  loyal  allies  the  defense  of 
our  liberty. 

Your  Excellency  sees  but  one  danger  to  the  public  order, 
the  extolling  of  the  virtue  of  patriotism.  I  see  another, 
the  exasperation  of  a  people  unjustly  oppressed. 

Your  Excellency  sees  but  one  remedy  for  the  evil  that 
you  fear,  Might.  I  see  another  and  a  better  one,  respect 
for  civic  dignity. 

I  believe  I  understand  better  than  any  foreigner  the 
Belgian  people's  soul. 

Fourth.  Anxious  to  obviate  misunderstandings,  your 
Excellency  devotes  the  second  part  of  your  letter  to  a  state- 
ment of  principles  on  the  situation  of  the  occupying  power, 
on  the  responsibilities  which  weigh  upon  you,  on  the  method 
by  which  you  intend  to  govern  us. 

On  this  point,  Baron,  there  is  between  us  a  fundamental 
and  irreducible  divergence. 

A  nation  has  only  one  legitimate  supreme  authority; 
two  are  quite  inconceivable. 

As  long  as  Belgium  is  not  recognized  by  international 
law  as  a  constituent  part  of  the  German  Empire,  the  occu- 


228    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


pied  provinces  legally  and  morally  depend  on  their  legiti- 
mate government  and  on  it  alone. 

The  occupying  power  possesses  an  authority  de  facto, 
but  can  claim  no  "right"  to  such  possession. 

The  occupied  country  has  to  submit  to  the  "de  facto" 
authority. 

Obedience,  as  a  moral  obligation,  is  due  only  to  the 
authority  of  the  legitimate  government,  which,  despite  the 
momentary  obstacles  limiting  its  sovereign  prerogative,  is 
and  remains  the  government  of  the  country. 

I  am  quite  aware  this  legitimate  government  requires  us 
to  accept,  without  any  signs  of  external  disaffection,  the 
regulations  of  the  occupying  power,  so  long  as  these  violate 
neither  international  law  nor  our  dignity  as  patriots.  I  am 
aware  also  that,  with  these  limitations,  the  above-mentioned 
government  expects  us  to  observe  these  regulations  in  order 
thus  to  spare  Belgium  falling  into  a  condition  worse  than 
that  which  has  been  imposed  on  it  by  force. 

It  is  for  these  reasons  we  respect  these  regulations  our- 
selves and  enjoin  others  to  do  the  same. 

But  when  the  occupying  power  violates  The  Hague  con- 
vention or  does  violence  to  our  dignity  as  men  or  as  citizens 
of  the  Belgian  nation,  we  must  raise  our  voice  in  protest. 
Your  Excellency  attempts  to  stifle  this  protest  and  reserves 
to  yourself  the  right  to  speak,  saying  that,  "You  alone  are 
qualified  to  judge  of  what  the  public  order  and  the  welfare 
of  our  population  demand." 

Excuse  me,  your  Excellency.  The  Hague  convention  is 
not  a  decree  of  an  occupying  power,  but  an  international 
contract.  This  contract  Germany  has  signed  in  the  same  way 
as  Belgium.  We  are  powerless  to  restrain  the  power  of 
your  military  arm,  but  we  have  the  right,  and  at  the  same 
time  the  duty,  of  satisfying  our  conscience  in  reminding 
you  that  an  account  will  be  exacted  from  you  one  day  before 
the  international  tribunal  of  The  Hague  and  also  before 
history  of  the  use  or  misuse  you  have  made  of  the  weapons 
of  power. 

The  empire  that  you  represent  has  pledged  itself  at  The 
Hague  never  to  misuse  this  power,  if  ever  it  came  into  pos- 


PATRIOTIC  ACTION  OF  PRIESTS  229 


session  of  it.  You  are  bound  in  conscience  by  this  pledge. 
Kant,  to  whom  must  be  attributed  the  perversion  of  all 
German  philosophical  speculation  and  against  whose  in- 
fluence I  am  proud  to  have  struggled  throughout  my 
career,  divorces  right  from  morality.  Hence  the  notion 
which  identifies  right  with  an  authority  devoid  of  aught  save, 
the  simple  power  of  coercion.  Against  this  arbitrary  mental 
identification,  justifying  as  it  does  despotism,  the  conscience 
of  humanity  protests. 

I  fear  that  your  Excellency,  in  spite  of  your  natural  up- 
rightness and  religious  sentiments  and  the  promise  made  to 
us,  in  writing  or  in  conversation,  to  alleviate  our  misfortunes 
and  to  heal  our  wounds,  is  dominated  unconsciously  by  this 
false  notion  of  government.  Thus  it  is  that  today  you 
declare  you  expect  from  stern  severity  alone  the  consolida- 
tion of  your  power  of  occupation. 

Receive,  dear  Governor  General,  the  expression  of  my 
sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 


CHAPTER  XXV 


PROTEST  OF  THE  BISHOPS  AGAINST  THE  ENROLLMENT  IN 
THE  GERMAN  ARMY  OF  YOUNG  BELGIANS  OF 
GERMAN  PARENTAGE 

The  Imperial  Government  declared  its  intention  of  forc- 
ing into  the  rank  of  the  German  army  all  young  men  of 
German  parentage  born  in  Belgium,  but  who  had  become 
legally  naturalized  Belgians  through  having  publicly  de- 
clared in  favor  of  the  country  of  their  birth.  At  various 
places,  notably  at  Brussels,  Verviers  and  Nivelles,  a  number 
of  young  men  in  this  category  were  summoned  to  appear 
before  the  military  authorities.  After  undergoing  a  medical 
examination  they  were  given  a  temporary  holiday  to  await 
being  drafted. 

The  Cardinal,  together  with  the  Bishops  of  Liege, 
Namur  and  Tournai,  protested  against  this  open  violation 
of  The  Hague  convention. 

Archbishop* s  House,  M alines , 

July  3d,  19 1 6. 

To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Your  Excellency — The  whole  Belgian  nation  is  deeply 
moved  at  the  news  that  young  men  of  German  extraction, 
who  have  declared  for  Belgian  nationality,  are  threatened 
with  enrollment  in  the  German  army.  Such  a  measure  is 
opposed  to  The  Hague  convention,  to  which  Germany  has 
put  her  signature.  It  does  violence  to  the  deepest  senti- 
ments of  our  Belgian  fatherland  by  dragging  away  from 
it  its  adopted  children.  It  outrages  the  conscience  of  many 
young  men,  who,  already  saddened  by  their  present  inability 

230 


YOUNG  BELGIANS  IN  GERMAN  ARMY  231 


to  serve  their  country,  see  themselves  compelled  to  take 
arms  against  her. 

For  these  reasons  the  bishops  of  Belgium  in  the  interest 
of  morality,  with  the  guardianship  of  which  they  have  been 
intrusted,  have  recourse  to  your  Excellency.  They  venture 
to  express  their  confidence  that  you  will  spare  no  effort 
to  prevent  the  authorities  of  the  empire  from  committing 
such  a  flagrant  infringement  both  of  the  international  law 
and  the  rights  of  conscience,  and  further  that  your  Excel- 
lency will  make  an  effort  to  spare  our  country,  already  so 
sorely  tried,  the  infliction  of  so  cruel  a  humiliation. 

Kindly  accept  in  anticipation  the  expression  of  our 
thanks  for  the  intervention  we  solicit  and  feel  sure  you 
will  not  refuse,  as  also  the  assurance  of  our  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 


The  Governor  General  replied  neither  to  the  bishops' 
letter  nor  to  a  petition  on  the  same  subject  addressed  to 
him,  about  the  same  time,  by  a  number  of  notabilities  of  the 
legal  and  political  world  dwelling  in  occupied  parts  of  Bel- 
gium. Nevertheless,  these  decrees  which  had  begun  to  be 
put  into  force  were  allowed  to  lapse  and  the  plan  of  forcible 
enrollment  in  the  German  army  of  young  Belgians  of  Ger- 
man parentage  was  not  carried  out. 


(Signed) 


(Signed) 


(Signed) 


Archbishop  of  Malines. 
Th.  Louis  Heylen, 

Bishop  of  Namur, 

M.  H.  RUTTEN, 

Bishop  of  Liège, 
Am.  M.  Crooy, 

Bishop  of  Tournai. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 


THE  CARDINAL'S  PUBLIC  ADDRESS  IN  THE  CHURCH  OF  STE. 
GUDULE,  JULY  21,  1916 

The  Governor  of  Brussels,  Lieutenant  General  Hurt, 
forbade  the  celebration  of  the  National  Day,  July  21.  In 
a  manifesto  published  as  early  as  the  17th,  he  prohibited 
under  a  penalty  of  six  months  and  a  fine  of  20,000  marks 
any  "demonstration  on  the  occasion;  such  as  public  meet- 
ings, processions,  speeches,  addresses,  school  treats,  the 
floral  decoration  of  certain  statues,  beflagging  of  buildings, 
public  or  private,  early  closing  of  shops,  restaurants,  etc." 

On  the  eve  of  the  celebration  appeared  a  further  warn- 
ing of  the  Governor,  in  which  the  public  was  advised  to  have 
nothing  to  do  with  a  certain  section  of  irresponsible  people 
who,  it  was  rumored,  were  endeavoring  to  influence  the 
population  against  the  observance  of  the  decree  and  that 
penalties  for  infraction  of  the  order  would  be  applied  ruth- 
lessly and  without  mercy. 

These  threats  were  followed  by  the  appearance  in  the 
streets  of  patrols  of  armored  cars,  destined  to  instill  fear 
into  the  people's  minds.  The  only  result  of  these  measures 
was  to  stimulate  further  the  desire  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Brussels  to  manifest  their  patriotic  ardor.  Hence,  while  re- 
specting the  letter  of  the  decree,  they  had  recourse  to  numer- 
ous devices,  each  more  ingenious  than  the  other,  in  celebrat- 
ing the  National  Day.  In  most  churches  a  dirge  was  sub- 
stituted for  the  customary  Te  Deum.  The  ceremony  in 
the  Church  of  St.  Gudule  was  graced  by  the  presence  of 
the  Cardinal.  The  great  church  on  the  occasion  was  filled 
to  overflowing;  hundreds  of  people,  unable  to  obtain  access 
to  it,  stationed  themselves  in  the  adjoining  square. 

After  the  gospel  the  Cardinal  ascended  the  pulpit  în. 

232 


ADDRESS  AT  STE.  GUDULE  233 


vestments  and  miter  and  pronounced  the  following  allocu- 
tion : 

"Before  beginning  I  want  you  to  do  an  act  of  self- 
restraint;  should  any  of  you  feel  overcome  by  strong  emo- 
tion, kindly  refrain  from  showing  it.  The  hour  for  ex- 
pressing adequately  the  intensity  of  your  feelings  has  not 
yet  struck. 

"'Jerusalem  facta  est  habitatio  exterorum;  dies  festi 
ejus  conversi  sunt  in  luctum.'  (Jerusalem  was  made  the 
habitation  of  strangers;  her  festival  days  were  turned  into 
mourning.) — Machabees,  Book  I,  chapter  I,  verses  40-41. 

"My  dearest  Brethren — We  were  to  have  gathered  here 
together  to  celebrate  the  eighty-fifth  anniversary  of  our 
national  independence. 

"Fourteen  years  hence  on  this  very  day  our  cathedrals 
restored  and  our  churches  rebuilt  will  open  wide  their  doors. 
The  people  will  crowd  them,  our  King  Albert,  standing  on 
his  throne,  will  freely  bow  his  unconquered  head  before  his 
Majesty,  the  King  of  Kings.  The  Queen  and  the  royal 
princes  will  form  a  group  around  him.  We  ourselves  shall 
hear  the  joyous  pealing  of  our  bells  and  throughout  the 
entire  country,  under  the  vaults  of  our  temples,  we  Belgians, 
hand  in  hand,  will  renew  our  oaths  to  God,  to  our  sovereign, 
to  our  liberties,  while  our  bishops  and  priests,  true  inter- 
preters of  the  soul  of  the  nation,  shall  intone  in  the  enthusi- 
asm of  their  gratitude  a  triumphal  Te  Deum. 

"Today  the  hymn  of  joy  dies  on  our  lips. 

"The  Jewish  people  in  captivity  in  Babylon  sat  and  wept 
on  the  banks  of  the  Euphrates  and  watched  the  waters  of 
the  river  as  they  flowed,  while  their  harps  hung  silent  amidst 
the  skirting  willows.  Who  would  have  the  courage  to  sing 
the  song  of  Jehovah  in  a  strange  land?  'O  Jerusalem,  our 
fatherland/  cried  the  psalmist,  'if  I  forget  thee,  let  my 
right  hand  be  forgotten  !  Let  my  tongue  cleave  to  my  jaws, 
if  I  do  not  remember  thee,  if  I  make  not  thee  the  beginning 
of  my  joy.' 

"The  concluding  words  of  the  psalm,  embodying  a  kind 
of  curse,  we  pass  over  in  stern  silence.  We  are  not  of  the 
Old  Testament  that  sanctioned  the  law  of  retaliation,  'Eye 


234    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


for  an  eye,  tooth  for  a  tooth.'  No  words  of  hatred  shall 
sully  our  lips,  cleansed  as  they  are  by  the  fire  of  Christian 
love. 

"To  hate  is  to  aim  at  doing  ill  and  to  take  pleasure  in  it. 
Whatever  may  be  our  sorrows,  we  will  not  pursue  with 
hatred  those  that  inflict  them  on  us. 

"National  union  of  hearts  is  linked  among  us  to  world- 
wide brotherhood. 

"But  above  this  sentiment  of  world-wide  brotherhood 
we  place  respect  for  absolute  right,  without  which  inter- 
course either  between  individual  or  between  nations  is  im- 
possible. 

"Hence  with  the  greatest  authority  in  Christian  theology, 
St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  we  declare  the  prosecution  of  crime  by 
competent  authority  is  a  virtue.  Crime,  injustice,  disturb- 
ances of  the  public  peace,  whether  by  individuals  or  by 
bodies  of  men,  must  be  repressed.  Conscience  is  disturbed, 
troubled  and  harassed  so  long  as  the  guilty,  according  to  the 
common  expression,  so  true  and  at  once  so  expressive,  has 
not  been  put  in  his  place.  To  put  things  and  men  in  their 
proper  place  is  to  re-establish  order,  restore  equilibrium, 
to  reintroduce  peace  on  a  basis  of  justice.  Public  vengeance 
understood  in  this  way  may  offend  the  susceptibility  of 
feeble  minds.  It  is,  nevertheless,  according  to  St.  Thomas 
Aquinas,  the  expression,  the  law,  of  charity  and  of  its 
flame,  which  is  zeal.  The  consequent  suffering  inflicted  on 
people  is  a  weapon  for  vindicating  outraged  right,  not  an 
aim  in  itself. 

"How  otherwise  love  order  without  detesting  disorder? 
How  wish  for  peace  intelligently  without  eliminating  what- 
ever undermines  it?  How,  lastly,  love  one's  own  brother — 
that  is,  wish  him  well — without  at  the  same  time  desiring  to 
see  his  mind  willingly  or  by  compulsion  conform  to  the  im- 
mutable dictates  of  justice  and  truth? 

"It  is  from  such  high  standpoints  that  war  must  be 
viewed  in  order  to  understand  its  grandeur.  Once  more  I 
repeat  there  may  be  certain  effeminate  souls,  in  whose  eyes 
war  is  merely  the  exploding  of  mines,  the  bursting  of  shells, 
the  butchery  of  men,  the  shedding  of  blood  and  the  piling 


ADDRESS  AT  STE.  GUDULE  235 


up  of  corpses.  Short-sighted  politicians  may  still  be  found 
with  low  views,  for  whom  the  stakes  of  battle  are  but  a 
passing  interest,  the  seizure  or  reconquest  of  ground  or  of  a 
province. 

"No.  If,  in  spite  of  its  horrors,  war — understand  a 
just  war — possesses  such  stern  attractions,  it  is  simply  be- 
cause it  is  the  disinterested  act  of  a  people  that  yield  up,  or 
is  disposed  to  yield  up,  its  most  precious  possessions,  its 
life,  in  defense  and  in  vindication  of  something  that  cannot 
be  weighed,  or  counted,  or  purchased — justice,  honor,  peace 
and  liberty. 

"Have  you  not  felt  during  the  last  two  years  that  the 
war,  the  keen  sustained  attention  you  bestow  upon  it  (even 
from  here),  purifies  you,  delivers  you  from  dross,  calms 
you,  makes  you  look  up  to  something  better  than  yourself? 
It  is  toward  the  ideal  of  justice  and  honor  that  you  rise. 
Its  charm  lifts  you  up. 

"And  because  this  idea — if  it  is  not  a  vain  delusion, 
which  takes  flight  like  the  unsubstantial  figment  of  a  dream 
— ought  to  have  its  seat  in  a  living,  subsisting  subject,  I 
am  never  tired  of  asserting  this  truth  which  keeps  us  under 
its  yoke,  viz.,  that  God  reveals  Himself  as  the  Master  over- 
ruling events  and  the  wills  of  men,  the  Sacred  Master  of  the 
Universal  Conscience. 

"Oh,  if  we  were  able  to  clasp  in  our  arms  our  heroes, 
who  at  the  front  are  fighting  for  us  or,  in  their  underground 
shelters,  impatiently  await  their  turn  to  advance  to  the 
firing  line  ;  if  we  were  allowed  to  catch  and  understand  the 
beatings  of  their  hearts,  is  it  not  this  they  would  say  to  us: 
*I  am  doing  my  duty,  I  am  offering  myself  a  victim  of  jus- 
tice.' And  you  wives  and  mothers,  relate  to  me  in  your 
turn  the  beauty  of  these  tragic  years;  wives  whose  every 
thought,  sad  but  at  the  same  time  resigned,  goes  out  to  the 
absent  one,  telling  him  of  your  longings,  your  long  waiting 
and  your  prayers;  mothers  whose  hearts  are  rent  by  the 
anguish  of  every  minute,  you  who  have  given  up  your  sons 
and  will  not  take  them  back,  as  we  contemplate  you,  our 
admiration  for  you  at  every  moment  holds  us  breathless. 

"The  head  of  one  of  our  noblest  families  wrote  to  me  : 


236   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


'Our  son  of  the  Seventh  Regiment  of  the  Line  has  fallen; 
my  wife  and  I  feel  our  hearts  broken,  but  if  need  be  we 
would  gladly  give  him  again.' 

UA  curate  of  the  capital  has  just  been  condemned  to 
twelve  years'  penal  servitude.  I  was  allowed  to  go  in  his 
cell  to  embrace  and  bless  him.  'I  have,'  said  he,  'three 
brothers  at  the  front.  I  believe  I  am  here  for  aiding  my 
youngest  brother,  a  lad  of  seventeen,  to  join  his  elder  broth- 
ers; one  of  my  sisters  is  here  in  a  neighboring  cell;  but, 
thanks  be  to  God,  my  mother  is  not  alone;  she  has  told 
us  so;  besides  she  does  not  weep.' 

uDo  not  our  mothers  make  us  think  of  the  mother 
of  the  Machabees?  What  lessons  of  moral  grandeur! 
Both  here  and  on  the  roads  leading  to  exile  in  the  prisons 
and  concentration  camps  in  Holland  and  Germany. 

"Do  we  reflect  sufficiently  how  much  those  brave  men 
must  suffer,  who  from  the  very  beginning  of  the  war,  from 
the  day  after  the  defense  of  Liège  and  Namur,  or  the 
retreat  from  Antwerp,  have  seen  their  military  career  de- 
stroyed and  now  chafe  under  their  inability  to  bear  arms; 
those  guardians  of  our  rights  and  our  commercial  freedom, 
who,  by  their  bravery,  have  been  reduced  to  inactivity? 
There  is  courage  in  leaping  to  the  attack;  there  is  no  less 
in  holding  back  from  it;  there  is  even  more  virtue  at  times 
in  suffering  than  in  action.  And  these  two  years  of  the 
Belgian  people's  calm  submission  to  the  inevitable,  this  en- 
during tenacity  which  made  a  humble  woman,  before  whom 
the  possibilities  of  an  early  peace  were  discussed,  to  exclaim  : 
'Oh!  for  us  there  is  no  haste;  we  can  still  wait.'  How 
beautiful  and  full  of  instruction  for  the  coming  generations  ! 
This  is  what  we  must  consider,  my  brethren,  namely,  the 
magnanimity  of  the  nation  in  sacrifice,  our  universal  and 
persevering  brotherhood  in  afflictions,  in  mourning  and  in 
the  same  invincible  hope  ;  that  is  what  we  must  bear  in  mind 
in  order  to  estimate  our  Belgian  fatherland  at  its  true 
worth. 

"Now,  the  first  authors  of  this  moral  greatness  are  our 
soldiers. 

"While  waiting  until  they  return,  when  grateful  Bel- 


ADDRESS  AT  STE.  GUDULE  237 


gium  will  acclaim  the  living  and  crown  the  memory  of  the 
fallen,  let  us  raise  up  in  our  souls  an  imperishable  monu- 
ment of  religious  gratitude.  Let  us  pray  for  those  who  are 
no  more  and  exclude  no  one  from  our  compassion. 

"The  blood  of  Christ  has  flown  for  all.  It  is  probable 
that  they  are  expiating  in  purgatory  the  last  traces  of  human 
frailty.  It  belongs  to  you  to  hasten  their  entrance  into 
paradise.  Succor  the  distress  of  the  poor  man  who  is 
known  to  you,  of  the  poor  man  who  is  bashful.  Give  your 
superfluity  to  those  who  lack  the  needful.  Assist  at  the 
mass  which  is  celebrated  each  week  in  your  parish  church 
for  our  departed  soldiers,  take  with  you  your  children,  get 
them  to  communicate  and  communicate  with  them. 

"Pray  also  for  those  who  stand  ever  in  the  line  of  fire  ! 
At  the  moment  I  am  speaking  to  you,  say  to  yourselves: 
Some  are  now  in  their  agony,  the  vision  of  eternity  has 
risen  up  before  them.  Let  us  think  of  them  and  obtain  for 
them  a  holy  death. 

"  'Our  soldiers  are  our  masters,'  wrote  recently  a  French 
academician;  'they  are  our  teachers,  our  leaders,  our  judges, 
our  supporters,  our  true  friends;  let  us  be  worthy  of  them 
and  imitate  them.  To  induce  us  not  to  do  less  than  our 
duty,  they  are  invariably  disposed  to  do  more  than  theirs.' 

"The  hour  of  our  deliverance  draws  near,  but  has  not 
yet  struck.  Let  us  remain  patient.  Let  not  our  courage 
falter.  Let  us  leave  to  divine  Providence  the  care  of  per- 
fecting our  national  education. 

"Young  women  and  young  girls,  let  me  ask  if  you  re- 
gard with  sufficient  gravity  the  present  hour.  Pray,  do  not 
show  yourselves  strangers  to  your  country's  mourning;  there 
are  fashions  and  attitudes  insulting  to  sorrow.  Modesty  is 
for  you  a  halo  and  a  virtue  ;  it  is,  moreover,  today  a  patriotic 
duty.  You  also  should  think  of  the  privations  and  endur- 
ance of  our  soldiers. 

"Let  our  minds  be  permeated  with  the  great  law  of  the 
austerity  of  life.  'How  much  ought  we  not,'  continues  the 
patriot  I  have  just  quoted,  'how  much  ought  we  not,  in  the 
relatively  easy  conditions  and  in  the  less  exposed  regions 
which  are  ours  and  which  do  not  merit  the  name  of  war 


238   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


zone,  to  apply  our  efforts  to  practice  self-restraint,  to  be 
more  simple  in  our  life  and  ways,  and,  like  our  soldiers,  but 
in  our  own  way,  to  brace  ourselves  up  to  exercise  more 
effective  energy?  Let  us  not  squander  a  moment  of  our 
lives  in  amusement  or  relaxation.  Let  us  not  spend  a 
minute  of  our  lives,  save  for  the  splendid  gain  for  which 
our  brothers  sacrifice  so  lovingly  their  own.' 

"And  just  as  at  the  front  our  heroes  offer  us  the  mar- 
velous and  consoling  spectacle  of  an  inseparable  union,  of  a 
military  brotherhood  which  nothing  can  impair;  thus  in  our 
ranks,  less  serried  and  with  a  more  elastic  discipline,  we 
shall  aim,  none  the  less,  at  preserving  the  same  cohesion, 
the  same  patriotic  concord.  We  shall  respect  the  truce  im- 
posed on  our  disputes  by  the  great  cause  which  alone  should 
employ  and  absorb  all  our  means  of  attack  and  fighting; 
and  if  wicked  and  wretched  men  do  not  understand  the 
urgency  or  the  beauty  of  this  national  harmony  and  still 
determine  in  spite  of  everything  to  foment  the  passions 
which  at  other  times  divide  us,  we  will  turn  away  and  con- 
tinue, without  deigning  to  reply,  to  remain  faithful  to  the 
pact  of  union,  friendship,  loyal  and  sincere  confidence,  which, 
in  spite  of  them,  we  have  made  with  them,  under  the  grand 
inspiration  of  the  war. 

"The  approaching  date  of  the  first  centenary  of  our  in- 
dependence should  find  us  stronger,  more  courageous,  more 
united  than  ever.  Let  us  prepare  for  it  by  work,  by  pa- 
tience, by  brotherhood.  When  in  1930  we  remember  the 
dark  years  of  19 14-19 16,  they  will  appear  to  us  brighter, 
more  majestic  and,  provided  today  we  know  how  to  make 
up  our  mind,  they  will  prove  the  happiest  and  most  fruitful 
of  our  national  history.  Ter  crucem  ad  lucem.'  Light 
springs  from  sacrifice." 

At  the  end  of  the  service  the  organ  played  the  "Braban- 
çonne." Up  to  that  point  the  congregation,  obedient  to  the 
recommendations  of  the  Cardinal,  had  restrained  their  emo- 
tion, but  scarcely  had  the  last  note  of  the  national  hymn 
died  away  than  spontaneously  a  cry  burst  forth  from  every 
breast:    "Long  live  Belgium!    Long  live  the  King!" 

At  the  termination  of  the  ceremony  the  Cardinal,  ac- 


ADDRESS  AT  STE.  GUDULE 


cording  to  custom,  was  conducted  processionally  to  the 
deanery  situated  close  to  the  church.  The  crowd  pressed 
up  to  the  door  of  the  sacristy  and  met  him  with  the  cry: 
"Long  live  the  Cardinal!    Long  live  liberty!" 

In  the  evening  about  8  o'clock  passers-by  recognized 
the  Cardinal's  motorcar  waiting  at  the  gate  of  St.  Louis's 
Institute.  A  crowd  at  once  collected  and  the  instant  the 
Cardinal  entered  his  carriage  to  return  to  Malines  he  was 
acclaimed  with  enthusiastic  shouts  by  a  crowd  that  every 
moment  grew  denser.  A  German  officer  appeared  on  the 
scene,  accompanied  by  a  detachment  of  soldiers,  and  brutally 
ordered  a  bayonet  charge  and  several  persons  were 
wounded.  The  Cardinal's  motorcar  rapidly  disappeared  in 
the  direction  of,  Malines.  The  following  day  Lieutenant 
General  Hurt  sent  a  letter  to  the  Burgomaster  of  Brussels 
from  which  we  extract  the  following  passages  :* 

"When  the  Cardinal  in  the  evening  passed  through  the 
city  in  his  motorcar,  a  demonstration  hostile  to  the  German 
authorities  took  place  of  such  a  nature  as  to  rouse  the  popu- 
lation to  resistance  and  ill-considered  acts.  You  must  agree, 
sir,  that  no  occupying  power  in  the  world  could  tamely  sub- 
mit to  such  provocation. 

"In  consequence  I  have  suggested  to  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral that  he  should  inflict  a  fine  upon  the  entire  population 
of  Brussels.  The  Governor  General  has  agreed  to  my  pro- 
posal and  has  inflicted  a  fine  of  a  million  marks." 

The  incidents  that  marked  that  day,  July  24th,  occa- 
sioned an  exchange  of  letters  between  his  Eminence  and  the 
Governor  General. 

Government  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 

July  24th,  19 16. 
To    His   Eminence    Cardinal    Mercier,    Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

Throughout  the  country  generally  July  24th  passed 
without  incident.  It  was  only  at  Brussels  that  a  demonstra- 
tion took  place  incompatible  with  the  regime  of  occupa- 
tion. 

*  Note — This  letter  was  published  by  the  censored  press.  The  above  text 
is  taken  from  "La  Belgique"  of  July  24. 


24o    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


This  demonstration  started  with  your  Eminence  your- 
self. The  reports  which  have  reached  me  inform  me  that 
during  the  address  you  delivered  at  St.  Gudule's  you  ex- 
pressed yourself  as  follows:  "The  hour  of  deliverance 
draws  near,  but  has  not  yet  struck.  He  who  bears  the  re- 
sponsibility of  this  frightful  war  should  receive  its  deserts. 
He  that  let  loose  this  storm  upon  Belgium  must  be  pun- 
ished. 

"My  dear  brethren,  pray  for  the  martyrs  of  liberty, 
remain  firm  and  unshaken  in  your  hope,  your  deliverance 
is  at  hand. 

"A  curate  of  our  diocese  has  been  sentenced  to  twelve 
years'  penal  servitude,  a  nun  in  our  holy  church  to  six  years1 
imprisonment.  Pray  for  these  martyrs  who  languish  in  a 
prison  cell  for  having  served  their  king  and  country. 

"1830  ...  an  historic  date,  when  the  people  of  Bel- 
gium wrung  their  liberty  from  their  oppressors  .  .  .  after 
fourteen  years  and  a  few  days  all  the  churches  of  Belgium 
will  resound  with  the  Belgian  people's  shouts  of  joy  and 
gladness." 

Before  coming  to  a  decision  respecting  this  incident,  I 
pray  your  Eminence  to  vouchsafe  me,  as  early  as  possible, 
an  explanation  of  this  affair  and  inform  me  if  the  extracts 
quoted  above  reproduce  exactly  the  words  uttered  by  you. 
Misunderstandings  have  been  caused  in  similar  cases.  Ac- 
cordingly, I  deem  it  important  for  your  Eminence  to  com- 
municate to  me  this  part  of  your  address.  It  would  interest 
me  especially  to  learn  if  your  Eminence  spoke  with  such 
certainty  of  the  approaching  hour  of  deliverance. 

If  this  is  so,  you  will  kindly  inform  me  of  the  grounds 
on  which  you  base  your  assertions.  Because  of  the  impor- 
tance which  I  attach  to  this  fact,  I  should  be  grateful  to 
your  Eminence  if  you  would  give  me  a  detailed  account. 

This  incident  dispenses  me  from  answering  your 
esteemed  letter  of  the  12th  inst.  As  I  cannot  admit  the 
view  there  expressed,  even  if  purely  theoretical,  I  have  re- 
quested the  chief  of  my  political  department  to  reply  to  your 
Eminence. 


ADDRESS  AT  STE.  GUDULE  241 


I  present  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)  Baron  VON  BlSSING, 

Lieutenant  General. 

Archbishop  s  House,  M  alines, 
July  25th,  19 1 6. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General 
of  Belgium. 

I  am  making  it  a  duty  to  reply  by  return  of  post,  as 
your  Excellency  desired  in  the  letter  No.  6713,  you  did  me 
the  honor  to  address  to  me  on  July  24th  and  which  I  re- 
ceived this  morning.  It  is  fortunate  that  your  Excellency 
had  the  good  inspiration  to  submit  to  me  the  report  made 
to  you  of  the  discourse  which  I  preached  at  St.  Gudule  on 
the  2 1  st  inst.  Nothing  is  more  fitting  than  that  I  should 
go  straight  to  the  point.  This  method,  had  it  been  always 
followed,  would  have  spared  us  in  the  past  the  misunder- 
standings, the  recurrence  of  which  we  are  today  both 
equally  anxious  to  prevent. 

Desirous  of  removing,  as  adequately  as  may  be,  your 
Excellency's  anxiety,  I  will  give  in  parallel  columns  the 
charges  made  against  me  in  your  report  and  the  text  of  my 
sermon. 

This  report,  containing  twenty-four  lines  within  quota- 
tion marks,  puts  into  my  mouth  nine  propositions.  Of  these 
nine,  four  are  absolute  fiction,  one  reproduces  faithfully  a 
line  of  my  discourse,  the  remaining  four  were  indeed  spoken 
by  me,  but  neither  in  the  sense  nor  in  the  context  given  in 
the  report. 

1.  My  dear  brethren,  pray       1.  I  have  nowhere  spoken 
for  the  martyrs  of  liberty,    of  the  martyrs  of  liberty, 
remain  firm  and  unshaken  in 
your  hope;  deliverance  is  at 
hand. 


2.  A  nun  of  Holy  Church 
has  been  sentenced  to  six 
years'  imprisonment. 


2.  I  have  nowhere  men- 
tioned a  nun,  or  our  Holy 
Church,  or  any  woman  sen- 
tenced. 


242   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


3.  Pray  for  the  martyrs 
who  languish  in  a  prison  cell 
for  having  served  their  king 
and  country. 

4.  1830  ...  a  historic 
date,  when  the  Belgian  peo- 
ple wrung  their  freedom 
from  their  oppressors.  .  .  . 
Our  brave  king  and  queen 
.  .  .  will  be  carried  in 
triumph.  .  .  . 

5.  A  curate  of  our  dio- 
cese has  been  sentenced  to 
twelve  years'  penal  servi- 
tude. 


6.  The  hour  of  deliver- 
ance is  near,  but  has  not  yet 
struck. 


Your  Excellency  does  me 
the  honor  of  putting  to  me 
the  following  question:  "I 
should  be  very  interested  to 
know  if  it  is  a  fact  that  your 
Eminence  has  spoken  with 
such  certainty  of  the  ap- 
proaching hour  of  the  liber- 
ation of  Belgium.  If  so, 
would  you  be  good  enough 
to  inform  me  what  are  the 
grounds  on  which  this  state- 
ment is  based. 


3.  I  have  nowhere  spoken 
of  martyrs,  or  of  prisoners 
languishing  in  prison  for 
having  served  their  king  and 
country. 

4.  I  have  nowhere  spoken 
of  the  king  and  queen  or  the 
royal  princes  who  would  be 
carried  in  triumph  through 
the  ranks  of  the  heroic  Bel- 
gian army. 

5.  This  text  is  correct.  I 
said,  in  fact:  "A  curate  of 
the  capital  has  just  been  sen- 
tenced to  twelve  years'  penal 
servitude." 

6.  This  I  said.  In  fact,  I 
said:  "The  hour  of  deliver- 
ance draws  near,  but  has  not 
yet  struck." 

I  keenly  regret  that  I  can- 
not fix  more  precisely  the 
date  of  our  deliverance,  and 
I  suspect  that  if  the  Gover- 
nor General  gave  me  access 
to  my  King,  or  allowed  me  to 
visit  Joffre,  or  Robertson, 
Von  Falkenhayn  or  Von 
Hindenburg,  we  should  not 
learn  much  more.  Hence, 
after  the  phrase  with  which 
you  find  fault,  I  added  im- 
mediately: "Let  us  continue 
to  be  patient  and  not  allow 


ADDRESS  AT  STE.  GUDULE 


our  courage  to  falter.  Let 
us  leave  to  Providence  the 
care  of  completing  our  na- 
tional education.  "  I  ex- 
horted my  hearers  "to  en- 
durance and  to  patience/' 
and  I  mentioned  the  exam- 
ple of  "a  poor  woman  who, 
hearing  the  possibility  of  an 
early  peace  discussed,  said: 
'Oh,  for  us  there  is  no  hurry; 
we  can  still  wait.'  " 


7-8.  He  who  bears  the  re- 
sponsibility of  this  frightful 
war  ought  to  receive  his 
deserts. 

He  that  has  let  loose  this 
catastrophe  on  poor  Bel- 
gium should  be  punished. 


7-8.  I  did  not  speak 
specifically  either  of  the  per- 
son who  let  loose  the  scourge 
of  actual  war  or  the  authors 
of  the  catastrophe  with 
which  Belgium  has  been  vis- 
ited. I  translated  into 
French  the  teaching  of  the 
great  theologian,  St.  Thom- 
as Aquinas.  I  expounded 
principles  the  application  of 
which  each  one  must  make 
for  himself.  This  theolog- 
ical doctrine  formulates  the 
necessary  claims  of  recog- 
nized justice.  The  author  of 
the  report  only  heard  that 
and  he  has  distorted  it;  but 
it  enunciates  the  prohibition 
of  hatred  and  the  law  of  uni- 
versal brotherhood.  Thus  I 
said:  "Our  lips  purified  by 
the  fire  of  Christian  charity 
do  not  give  utterance  to 
words  of  hatred.  To  hate  is 
to  make  another's  misfor- 


244   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


9.  In  fourteen  years  and 
some  days  all  the  churches 
of  Belgium  will  vibrate  with 
shouts  of  "Hoch,"  cries  of 
joy  will  be  raised  by  the 
whole  Belgian  population. 


tune  our  object  and  to  gloat 
over  it.  Whatever  be  our 
sorrows,  we  do  not  enter- 
tain hatred  toward  those 
who  inflicted  them.  Nation- 
al concord  among  us  co- 
exists with  universal  broth- 
erhood, but  higher  than  the 
sentiment  of  universal  broth- 
erhood we  place  respect  for 
absolute  right,  without  which 
there  can  be  no  possible  in- 
tercourse either  among  indi- 
viduals or  nations. 

9.  I  have  not  made  any 
church  in  Belgium  vibrate 
with  sounds  of  cheering — 
neither  have  I  spoken  of 
"Hochs,"  nor  of  cries  of  joy, 
but  of  a  triumphal  Te  Deum. 
Even  so,  these  are  only  tri- 
fling variations  of  style.  But 
the  report  is  captious  when 
you  translate  the  words  in 
fourteen  years  on  such  a  day 
by  "in  fourteen  years  and 
some    days."     This  last 
touch  proves  how  needful  it 
is  to  mistrust  spies  who  un- 
derstand imperfectly  the  lan- 
guage in  which  our  preach- 
ers express  themselves,  and 
with  the  hope  of  profitably 
flattering   German  patriot- 
ism, use  every  expedient  to 
catch  or  put  in  default  the 
honest  folk  on  whom  they 
spy. 


ADDRESS  AT  STE.  GUDULE  245 


In  a  word,  sir,  about  half  the  report  is  fiction.  Of  the 
rest  scarcely  a  fifth  part  is  correct.  The  other  four-fifths 
mutilates  the  meaning  and  changes  the  order  of  my 
thoughts. 

Furthermore,  I  hold  at  your  Excellency's  disposition,  if 
you  wish  to  see  it,  the  complete  text  of  my  sermon  as  it 
was  read  (for  I  took  the  precaution  of  writing  and  reading 
it)  from  the  pulpit  of  St.  Gudule. 

Your  Excellency  is  pleased  to  attribute  to  me  a  demon- 
stration incompatible  with  the  conditions  of  occupation. 
Much  might  be  said  about  this  demonstration,  which  con- 
sisted of  certain  shouts  of  joy  and  gratitude,  with  which  the 
Belgian  authorities  were  received,  but  the  hour  is  not  yet 
come  to  express  on  this  subject  all  I  have  in  my  mind. 

I  reject  the  insinuation  implied  in  this  phrase,  taken 
from  your  manifesto  dated  July  22d:  "In  the  evening  Car- 
dinal Mercier  motored  through  the  city."  I  invite  your 
Excellency  to  compare  your  accusation  of  :  "Diese  Kundge- 
bung  ist  von  Eurer  Eminenz  selbst  ausgegangen" — "This 
demonstration  originated  with  your  Eminence  himself," — 
with  the  repeated  declarations  of  Lieutenant  General  Hurt, 
Governor  of  Brussels  and  Brabant:  "My  prohibition  to 
celebrate  the  national  festival  has  induced  a  small  number 
of  thoughtless  persons  to  invite  the  public  to  disobey  my 
order.  I  put  the  inhabitants  formally  on  their  guard  against 
instigations  to  effect  this  object.,,  (Notice  dated  July  20th, 
19 1 6.)  "The  reckless  portion  of  the  population  has  invited 
the  public,  by  a  liberal  distribution  of  handbills,  not  to  obey 
my  orders."  (Notice  under  date  July  22d,  19 16.) 
(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Brussels,  July  28th,  19 16. 
Political  Department  of  the  Government  General  of  Bel- 
gium. 

The  Governor  General  commissions  me  to  convey  his 
thanks  to  your  Eminence  in  reply  to  your  esteemed  letter  of 
the  25th  inst.  for  the  care  and  the  promptness  which  you 
took  to  clear  up  all  misunderstandings.   The  Governor  Gen- 


246   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


eral  recognizes  with  pleasure  that  your  Eminence  had  no 
intention  to  add  to  the  agitation  discernible  among  the  Bel- 
gian population. 

Nevertheless,  his  Excellency  must  protest  against  your 
Eminence's  insinuation  that  the  reports  of  the  sermon 
preached  at  St.  Gudule  are  the  handiwork  of  spies.  Not 
cne  of  these  reports  comes  from  any  one  in  our  service. 
All  come  from  believing  Catholics,  who  had  noted  with 
painful  surprise  the  impression  it  made  on  the  audience. 
Even  Belgians  disapproved  of  your  Eminence's  words,  for 
they  said  they  must  undoubtedly  have  excited  men's  minds 
and  exercised  an  influence  on  their  conduct  outside  the 
church. 

Without  doubt  your  Eminence  wishes  now  to  foster  the 
belief  that  the  words  which  you  employed  have  been  mis- 
understood. But  simple  people  noticed  in  a  special  manner 
such  phrases  as  "The  hour  of  deliverance  approaches,  but 
has  not  yet  struck."  In  spite  of  all  the  subtle  qualifications 
with  which  your  Eminence  enveloped  them,  these  phrases 
stick  in  the  memory.  The  fact  that  the  words  spoken  by 
your  Eminence  have  been  misconstrued  is  at  any  rate  a 
proof  that  you  did  not  clearly  take  into  account  the  possible 
effect  of  your  discourse. 

In  spite  of  all  your  good  intentions,  your  Eminence 
hinders  people  from  forming  a  true  idea  of  the  actual 
situation.  Your  Eminence  wrote  that  not  one  of  the  com- 
manders-in-chief of  the  armies  in  the  field  could  predict  the 
end  of  hostilities.  Accordingly,  the  Governor  General  is  at 
a  loss  to  understand  how  your  Eminence  can  on  your  own 
account  foretell  the  issue  of  the  war.  In  any  case,  the  Gov- 
ernor General  earnestly  entreats  your  Eminence  to  be  on 
your  guard  for  the  future  and  to  avoid  all  misunderstand- 
ings and  for  this  purpose  to  refrain  from  uttering  in  public 
statements  liable  to  mislead  the  people.  Your  Eminence 
has  declared  over  and  over  again  that  you  knew  quite  well 
the  temper  of  the  Belgian  people,  but  you  must  not  lose 
sight  of  the  fact  that  declarations  made  by  an  orator  easily 
and  very  often  produce  effects  quite  opposite  to  those  in- 
tended. 


ADDRESS  AT  STE.  GUDULE  247 


In  conclusion  I  should  like  to  rectify  a  mistake  made  by 
your  Eminence.  In  his  letter  of  July  24th  the  Governor 
General  says:  "This  demonstration  began  with  your  Emi- 
nence." The  words  "this  demonstration"  referred  solely 
to  the  sermon  preached  at  St.  Gudule.  The  Governor  Gen- 
eral had  no  intention  of  discussing  with  your  Eminence  the 
incidents  which  took  place  during  the  evening.  These  have 
already  been  examined  by  another  authority.  Hence  the 
consequences  which  your  Eminence  deduces  from  this  mis- 
understanding fall  to  the  ground. 

I  shall  shortly  have  the  honor  of  answering  in  detail  the 
letter  which  your  Eminence  has  addressed  to  the  Governor 
General  dated  July  12th,  and  shall  have  an  opportunity 
also  of  touching  on  another  question,  which,  because  of  the 
agitation  that  it  constantly  keeps  alive  among  the  Belgian 
people,  calls  for  a  definitive  solution. 

Please  accept  the  expression  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  Lancken. 

Archbishop's  House,  M alines y 

July  3 of/*,  1 91 6. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

I  have  the  honor  of  acknowledging  the  receipt  of  your 
Excellency's  letter  No.  6827,  which  you  commissioned 
Baron  von  der  Lancken  to  write  in  your  name. 

In  its  general  purport  it  recognizes — and  I  am  glad  of 
it — that  my  discourse  of  July  21st  had  been  wrongly  de- 
nounced. The  report  made  to  your  Excellency  was  incor- 
rect, and  thus  the  fundamental  misunderstanding  is  re- 
moved. 

Yet,  on  two  points  of  detail,  the  author  of  the  letter  de- 
clares that  he  is  not  satisfied.  He  finds  that  I  have  assumed 
the  rôle  of  prophet  because  I  have  said,  "The  house  of  de- 
liverance draws  nigh."  Next,  that  I  falsely  boast  of  know- 
ing the  temper  of  the  Belgian  people;  the  demonstration  of 
the  2 1st  proves  me  lacking  in  foresight. 

But  I  did  not  say,  "The  hour  of  deliverance  draws 
nigh"  but,  "The  hour  of  deliverance  draws  nigh,  but  has  not 


248   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


struck.  Let  us  persevere  in  patience.  Do  not  let  our  cour- 
age falter.  Let  us  commit  to  Divine  Providence  the  care  of 
perfecting  our  national  education.''  The  first  clause  taken 
by  itself  is  as  vague  as  its  meaning  is  clear  when  read 
joined  to  its  context.  This  proves  once  more  that  any  two 
lines  taken  from  an  author  are  enough  to  hang  him. 

Imagine  you  have  before  you  a  prisoner  sentenced  to  a 
year's  imprisonment.  After  eight  months  of  durance  you 
say  to  him,  "Courage,  my  friend,  the  hour  of  deliverance 
draws  nigh."  Do  you  think  he  does  not  understand?  The 
prisoner  is  Belgium — she,  too,  understands. 

But,  you  say,  if  she  understands,  how  is  it  that  she 
revolts  despite  your  discourse,  which  you  pretend  to  be 
soothing  and  comforting  words?  Either  your  words  are 
not  soothing  or  you  do  not  understand  the  Belgian  men- 
tality. 

First  of  all,  I  reply:  Is  this  real  or  apparent  agitation 
the  direct  effect  of  my  sermon?  Did  you  not  acknowledge 
that  on  the  20th — that  is  before  my  sermon  of  the  21st  was 
preached — signs  of  this  agitation  were  already  visible?  If 
instead  of  threatening  with  six  months'  imprisonment  or  a 
fine  of  20,000  marks  any  one  laying  a  flower  at  the  foot 
of  a  national  monument,  or  being  so  bold  as  to  close  their 
café  or  shop  on  Independence  Day,  you  had  shown  defer- 
ence, even  only  by  silence,  to  our  national  feelings,  the 
people  would  not  have  been  driven  to  defiance. 

This  is  what  I  hinted  at  when  I  concluded  my  letter 
on  the  25th  with  these  words,  which,  out  of  respect  for  my 
correspondent,  I  left  somewhat  vague:  "I  did  but  utter 
words  of  charity  and  comfort;  provocation  must  be  sought 
elsewhere." 

What  is  gravest  in  the  eyes  of  the  occupying  power 
in  the  demonstration  of  the  21st  is  evidently  the  incident 
that  took  place,  "in  the  evening  when  the  Cardinal  passed 
through  the  streets  in  his  motorcar,"  it  being  understood 
that  this  demonstration  brought  about  the  sentence  of  con- 
demnation pronounced  by  the  Governor  of  Brussels  and 
Brabant:  "Therefore  I  have  suggested  to  the  Governor 
General  that  he  should  inflict  a  fine  on  the  entire  popula- 


ADDRESS  AT  STE.  GUDULE  249 


tion  of  Brussels.  The  Governor  General  has  agreed  to  my 
suggestion  and  inflicted  a  fine  of  a  million  marks." 

What  was  the  extent  of  this  demonstration,  of  which  I 
can  speak  with  knowledge,  having  myself  been  a  witness 
of  the  event?  The  drive  which  the  German  Governor  of 
Brussels  and  Brabant  describes  me  as  making  in  a  motorcar 
through  the  streets  of  the  city  was  one  of  a  good  hundred 
yards,  namely  from  St.  Louis's  Institute  to  the  point  on  the 
boulevard  immediately  opposite  Rue  de  Brabant. 

I  took  my  place  as  quietly  as  possible  in  a  closed  car, 
the  windows  of  which  were  hermetically  shut.  A  few  per- 
sons accompanied  me  on  this  short  journey  and  cheered  but 
without  uttering  a  single  sound  that  could  give  offense  to 
the  German  authorities.  The  police,  who  had  allowed  the 
people  to  assemble  freely  near  St.  Louis's  Institute,  then  or- 
dered quite  unnecessarily  a  bayonet  charge  while  my  car  was 
taking  the  most  direct  route  toward  Malines — that  is  Rue 
de  Brabant.  Once  the  hundred  yards  of  the  boulevard  were 
passed  nobody  at  all  followed  my  car.  These  are  the  facts 
in  all  their  simplicity. 

Frankly,  is  there  here  matter  for  a  fine  of  a  million 
two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  francs?  Moreover,  since 
your  Excellency  is  quite  willing  to  say  that  my  sermon  at 
St.  Gudule  was  not  seditious,  would  it  not  be  consistent 
and  just  to  remit  a  punishment  which  was  justified  in  the 
eyes  of  the  occupying  power  only  by  this  alleged  act  of 
sedition  ? 

Receive,  sir,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 
(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

For  his  part,  the  pro-burgomaster  of  Brussels,  M.  Le- 
monnier,  in  the  name  of  the  communal  administration  of  the 
whole  of  Brussels,  addressed  a  request  to  the  Governor 
General  to  revise  his  decision.  Baron  von  Bissing  remained 
inflexible  and  the  penalty  was  exacted. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 


THE  RIGHTS  OF  THE  OCCUPYING  POWER 

In  his  letter  of  June  28th,  19 16,  Baron  von  Bissing 
had  explained  what  he  considered  to  be  his  rôle  as  Governor 
General  and  subsequently  had  laid  down  certain  principles 
as  to  the  position  of  the  occupying  power.  The  Cardinal 
had  answered  defending  the  theory  which  he  had  upheld 
in  his  first  letter  to  the  Governor  General  and  which  he  had 
laid  before  his  people  in  his  pastoral,  "Patriotism  and  En- 
durance": "The  occupying  power  is  not  a  lawful  power; 
it  is  a  power  de  facto;  the  only  power  de  jure  in  Belgium  is 
that  of  the  King  and  his  Government." 

The  Governor  General  never  returned  to  the  charge. 
It  was  Baron  von  der  Lancken  who  resumed  the  discussion. 
The  controversy  between  the  Cardinal  and  the  chief  of  the 
Political  Department  respecting  the  rights  of  the  occupying 
power  called  forth  an  exchange  of  long  letters,  having  the 
form  of  pamphlets  at  once  political  and  philosophical. 

Political  Department  of  the  Governor  General  of  Belgium, 

Brussels,  August  1st,  19 16. 
To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

In  your  letter  addressed  to  the  Governor  General  dated 
July  1 2th,  your  Eminence  made  several  reflections  on  prin- 
ciples respecting  the  right  of  occupation.  I  have  the  honor 
to  make  the  following  observations  to  your  Eminence  on 
this  subject. 

First,  I  would  have  you  take  notice  that  it  is  only  an 
exchange  of  theoretical  views.  Your  Eminence  expresses 
ideas  which  go  far  beyond  the  purely  juridical  scope  of  the 
Hague  Convention.  The  text  of  the  Hague  Convention 
to  which  the  force  of  an  international  contract  has  been 

250 


RIGHTS  OF  OCCUPYING  POWER  251 


given  (the  question,  in  so  far  as  it  concerns  us  now,  is 
chiefly  treated  in  Chapter  IV)  contains  not  a  single  word 
relative  to  the  question  touched  upon  by  your  Eminence. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  positive  provisions  laid  down  in 
regard  to  occupation  in  this  chapter  are  clear  and  precise. 
The  exchange  of  views  between  your  Eminence  and  myself 
leads  us  therefore  into  a  research,  which  would  have  more 
than  anything  the  character  of  a  study  preparatory  to  a  fu- 
ture Hague  Conference.  As  regards  myself  personally,  I 
eagerly  embrace  this  opportunity  of  expounding  my  views  on 
this  subject. 

In  the  first  place,  I  recognize  that  the  Hague  Conference 
contains  serious  gaps.  From  the  standpoint  of  occupation 
it  expressly  defines  the  duties  of  the  occupying  power,  but  it 
is  silent  regarding  the  duties  of  the  population  of  the  occu- 
pied territory.  In  the  case  of  a  prolonged  occupation,  these 
provisions  are  inadequate,  for  the  population  should  not 
be  content  calmly  to  await  the  decision  of  arms;  it  should 
also  take  part  in  the  work  of  administration,  undertaken 
chiefly  in  its  interest  by  the  occupying  power.  Your  Emi- 
nence will  grant  me  that  some  positive  provisions  of  this 
kind,  inserted  in  the  Hague  Convention,  would  have  assisted 
the  population  to  triumph  over  many  scruples.  At  the  same 
time,  I  only  give  this  as  my  personal  opinion. 

I  come  now  to  the  letter  of  July  12th  last.  Your  Emi- 
nence there  puts  forth  once  more  the  view  that  the  occupy- 
ing power  has  no  legitimate  rights,  but  only  power  de  facto. 
I  should  like  to  remind  your  Eminence  of  the  provisions  of 
articles  42  and  43  of  Chapter  IV.  There  the  transfer 
of  power  de  facto  to  the  occupant  is  quite  "légitimâtes 
According  to  an  international  contract,  which  is  in  keeping 
with  all  the  rules  and  has  been  ratified  by  the  contracting 
parties,  this  transfer  flows  automatically  from  an  actual  state 
of  occupation.  It  appears  to  me  that  your  Eminence  in  your 
character  of  moralist  and  philosopher,  in  making  use  of 
the  expression  de  jure,  conceived  an  idea  which  the  jurists 
of  the  Hague  purposely  set  aside.  For  a  division  of  legis- 
lative power  is  impossible  and  therefore  what  is  de  facto 
must  be  also  de  jure.    What,  after  all,  really  matters  is 


252   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


merely  the  exercise  of  legislative  authority  and  its  docile 
acceptance  by  the  population. 

Let  your  Eminence  then  imagine  what  would  happen 
if  the  Belgian  people  received  at  the  same  time  contra- 
dictory orders  from  its  former  Government  on  the  one 
hand,  and  from  the  occupying  power  on  the  other.  On  this 
point  your  Eminence  does  not  agree  with  the  Havre  Gov- 
ernment. 

Thus,  for  instance,  in  the  question  of  military  service, 
the  Belgian  Government  recognizes  the  lawfulness  of  the 
German  regulations  forbidding  the  crossing  of  the  frontier. 
The  new  military  laws  which  it  has  promulgated  are  en- 
forceable only  on  Belgians  living  abroad.  They  do  not  men- 
tion Belgians  living  in  the  occupied  territory;  therefore  they 
exclude  them  from  the  operations  of  the  laws,  and  neither 
consider  them  blameworthy  nor  bad  patriots. 

In  distinguishing  power  de  jure  and  power  de  facto,  in 
upholding  the  existence  of  a  special  lawful  authority,  your 
Eminence  appears  to  me  to  fall  into  the  same  mistake  with 
which,  from  a  purely  philosophical  standpoint,  you  reproach 
Kant.  Your  Eminence,  in  a  word,  separates  morality  and 
right. 

We  may  consider  the  occupation  as  a  provisional  state. 
It  is  nevertheless  a  juridical  state,  the  consequences  of  which 
must  be  borne  by  all  who  are  subject  thereto.  Of  course 
each  one  has  also  the  right  to  enter  a  protest  against  even- 
tual infringements  of  the  Hague  Convention. 

May  I  remind  your  Eminence  that  the  Belgian  courts 
of  law  in  every  appeal  have  been  engaged  in  the  question 
whether  or  no  the  German  decrees  were  in  conformity  with 
the  Hague  Convention?  It  is  therefore  useless  to  require 
for  that  act  of  theirs  a  special  lawful  authority.  This  in 
practice  has  the  inconvenience  of  appearing  as  a  purely 
moral  authority  above  the  law  in  vigor  of,  and  therefore  in 
opposition  to,  the  Hague  Convention,  which  is  the  only 
source  of  right  in  this  matter.  Thus  in  your  first  Pastoral, 
your  Eminence  gave  in  truth  an  instruction  which  tended  to 
obstruct  the  work  of  organization  of  the  occupying  power, 
by  holding  back  the  population  from  taking  part  therein. 


RIGHTS  OF  OCCUPYING  POWER  253 


As  to  myself  I  consider  that  this  way  of  acting  entails 
important  consequences.  When  for  instance  the  occupation 
is  protracted,  it  may  become  more  dangerous  than  a  direct 
violation  of  public  order,  which  should  be  repelled  by  armed 
force.  The  population  chiefly  is  interested  in  the  smooth 
working  of  affairs  and  each  citizen  should  consider  it  his 
duty  to  co-operate  therein,  just  as  public  servants  do  by  con- 
tinuing to  serve  their  country  in  the  exercise  of  their  func- 
tions under  the  direction  of  the  German  authorities. 

In  this  connection,  I  might  recall  the  conduct  of  many 
ecclesiastics  of  which  the  Governor  General  complained  in 
his  letter  to  the  Bishops.  I  should  like  your  Eminence  to 
draw  a  clear  distinction  between  patriotism  and  the  stirring 
up  of  the  people  against  the  occupying  power.  Would  your 
Eminence  defend  the  spreading  of  writings  insulting  to  Ger- 
many or  indeed  approve  of  sermons  in  which  our  army  is 
held  up  to  scorn? 

We  have  had  the  recent  case  of  a  priest  who,  though 
not  a  Belgian,  was  prosecuted  for  an  offence  of  this  nature. 
To  my  way  of  thinking  a  loyal  patriot  in  the  occupied  ter- 
ritory should  hold  aloof  from  every  demonstration.  He 
would  thus  enjoy  everybody's  esteem  and  his  attitude  would 
be  thus  quite  compatible  with  a  docile  acceptance  of  the 
régime  of  occupation. 

The  Governor  General,  acting  in  harmony  with  the  ec- 
clesiastical authorities,  endeavored  to  shield  priests  from 
conviction.  On  that  occasion  your  Eminence  expressed  to 
him  your  gratitude.  The  reasons  for  which,  in  order  to 
hinder  these  abuses,  the  Governor  General  gave  up  having 
recourse  to  ecclesiastical  discipline  have  been  stated  to 
your  Eminence  by  him  personally. 

But  it  can  never  be  feasible,  according  to  the  views  ex- 
pressed by  your  Eminence  in  your  letter  of  June  23rd,  to 
subject  ecclesiastics  accused  of  any  offence  to  a  special  form 
of  jurisdiction. 

Nor  can  it  be  a  question  of  enforcing  in  their  regard  the 
Belgian  criminal  legislation.  Your  Eminence  here  falls 
into  some  confusion.  The  penal  Belgian  laws  are  made  for 
the  Belgian  State  and  it  is  in  accordance  with  these  laws 


254  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


that  judgments  are  delivered  in  the  Belgian  courts  of  justice. 
The  occupying  power  protects  its  own  interests  by  means 
of  its  own  regulations  and  penal  laws.  This  is  also  the 
case  when  a  foreign  territory  is  occupied,  as,  for  instance, 
Greece.  Your  Eminence  will  admit  that  a  state  in  occupa- 
tion cannot  be  content  with  the  less  severe  laws  prevailing  in 
peace  time. 

Your  Eminence  finds  inexact  the  phrase  "an  unendurable 
situation"  (unhaltbare  Zustânde).  The  reason  for  this  is 
that  if  trivial  misdemeanors  were  tolerated,  political  agita- 
tion would  quickly  assume  such  proportions  that  it  could  not 
be  kept  under,  save  by  measures  of  extraordinary  severity. 
And  this  is  the  case  when  exaggerated  demonstrations  of 
patriotism  take  place  from  the  pulpit.  Your  Eminence,  be- 
ing a  learned  psychologist,  will  not  deny  that  it  is  violently 
inconsistent  to  rouse  the  feelings  of  an  audience  and  then 
to  ask  it  to  remain  perfectly  calm.  If  men  continue  to  rouse 
patriotic  feelings  an  "unendurable  situation"  will  be  brought 
about,  which,  in  the  interest  of  the  general  public,  we  must 
avoid. 

I  take  advantage  of  this  opportunity  to  draw  your  Emi- 
nence's attention  to  what  continually  happens  in  the  Grotto 
of  Lourdes  at  Laeken.  I  believe  that  if  you  would  give 
these  priests  a  general  warning  to  confine  themselves  to 
their  religious  ministry,  you  would  put  an  end  to  a  movement 
which,  if  it  grew,  would  necessitate  the  intervention  of  the 
German  authorities. 

I  know  well  that  your  Eminence  in  your  Pastoral  entitled 
"Patriotism  and  Endurance"  declared  after  St.  Thomas 
Aquinas  that  patriotism  is  a  Christian  virtue.  You  hold 
therefore  that  it  should  be  upheld  in  the  churches.  But  it  is 
needful  that  this  should  be  done  in  a  just  measure,  I  would 
willingly  say  in  a  liturgical  measure,  and  no  one  should 
transform  a  demonstration  of  patriotism  into  a  violent  po- 
litical outburst,  little  in  keeping  with  divine  worship. 

Your  Eminence  will  permit  me  to  recall  here  the  words 
which  you  uttered  before  the  representatives  of  the  civil 
power,  at  the  moment  when  you  took  possession  of  your  high 
ecclesiastical  office:    "We  shall  not  interfere  in  politics. 


RIGHTS  OF  OCCUPYING  POWER  255 


The  day  that  any  one  of  us  should  forget  the  respect  due  to 
civil  power  enjoying  legal  independence,  remind  him,  M. 
Minister,  of  this  word  which  is  sacred  to  us,  because  it 
fell  from  the  divine  lips  of  Christ:  'Render  to  God  the 
things  that  are  God's  and  to  Caesar  the  things  that  are 
Caesar's.'  " 

Your  Eminence  at  the  end  of  your  letter  speaks  of  the 
influence  of  Kant.  I  do  not  feel  called  upon  to  begin  a 
scientific  discussion  with  a  philosopher  of  such  great  repute. 
I  must  nevertheless  remark  that  your  Eminence  does  Kant 
an  injustice  when  you  declare  that  he  has  distorted  the  notion 
of  right  in  the  mind  of  the  German  people.  His  chief  moral 
principle  was  this:  "Act  in  such  a  wise  that  the  maxim 
of  thy  will  may  serve  at  the  same  time  as  a  principle  of 
general  legislation." 

It  is  in  this  that  we  must  seek  the  German  conception 
of  duty,  of  right  and  liberty,  independently  of  all  theory 
of  knowledge.  While  admitting  that  Kant's  philosophy  is 
theoretically  dangerous,  it  would  be  necessary  to  prove  that 
it  has  penetrated  into  the  minds  of  the  German  people.  I 
here  again  permit  myself  to  appeal  to  your  Eminence's  tes- 
timony. In  a  controversy  with  the  Belgian  atheists  you 
pointed  out  that  the  great  Protestant  nations  of  Germany 
and  the  United  States  make  it  their  glory  to  proclaim  offi- 
cially the  sovereign  rights  of  God  over  humanity. 

I  have  done  my  best  to  follow  step  by  step  the  allega- 
tions of  your  Eminence  and  I  should  be  pleased  to  feel  that 
I  had  thus  contributed  to  remove  misunderstandings. 

I  present  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem  and  have  the  honor  to  be 

Yours  sincerely, 

Lancken. 

Archbishop' s  House ,  M  alines, 
August  16th,  19 16. 
To  the  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Chief  of  the  Political  De- 
partment of  the  General  Government,  Brussels. 
Dear  Baron — The  letter  J.  N.  6766,  with  which  you 
honor  me  at  the  request  and  on  behalf  of  His  Excellency 


256   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Baron  von  Bissing,  insists  on  certain  general  questions  previ- 
ously raised  in  the  despatch  of  the  Governor  General  under 
date  of  the  twenty-eighth  of  June  and  on  which  I  have  in  a 
letter  of  July  12  already  delivered  my  opinion. 

Your  letter  dated  August  1st  opens  with  a  preliminary 
summary  on  the  "gaps"  in  the  Hague  convention  which, 
as  you  say,  while  defining  the  duties  of  the  occupying  power, 
does  not  specify  those  of  the  occupied  country. 

The  main  part  of  the  letter  comprises  two  sections,  one 
treating  of  the  occupying  power,  the  other  of  patriotism 
and  its  display. 

In  conclusion  you  break  a  lance  in  favor  of  the  moral 
teaching  of  Kant  and  the  religious  spirit  of  the  Germans. 

A  few  lines  here  will  suffice  to  dispose  of  both  the  con- 
cluding portion  of  your  letter  as  also  its  main  section,  stig- 
matizing once  more  the  patriotism  at  once  so  calm  and  so 
patient  of  the  Belgian  people. 

Clearly  it  is  the  first  of  these  two  subjects  you  deem  the 
more  interesting  and  on  which  consequently  you  dwell  with 
greater  zest. 

In  your  view,  by  condemning  the  severance  of  law 
from  morality,  as  effected  by  his  philosophy,  I  have  misrep- 
resented Kant  and  his  influence  over  the  minds  of  your  coun- 
trymen. You  remind  me,  in  this  connection,  of  the  funda- 
mental precept  of  Kantian  ethics  and  are  of  opinion 
that  therein,  independently  of  any  theory  about  the  source  of 
knowledge,  must  be  sought  the  "German  Ideal"  of  duty,  law 
and  freedom. 

Believe  me,  my  dear  Baron,  it  was  far  from  my  mind 
to  deny  the  existence  of  ethical  teaching — of  a  high,  nay  an 
excessively  high  character — in  the  Kantian  Philosophy.  I 
plainly  asumed  that  in  this  philosophy  there  were  two  terms, 
viz.,  "right  and  morality,"  inasmuch  as  I  find  fault  with 
Kant  for  having  sundered  them. 

You  are  pleased  to  ignore  this  separation  and  to  declare 
that  "the  German  idea  of  things"  subordinates  legal  matters 
to  a  precept  of  morality.  So  much  the  better  for  you  and 
those  who  think  as  you  do  !  It  proves  that  nature  is  often 
worth  more  than  systems  of  philosophy.    But  bear  in  mind 


RIGHTS  OF  OCCUPYING  POWER  257 


that  when  you  separate  yourself  from  Kant's  separatist 
theory,  you  implicitly  own  that  I  was  right  when  I  found 
fault  with  him. 

Not  everyone,  unluckily,  can  so  readily  and  lightly 
shake  himself  free  from  any  false  theories  he  may  have 
cherished. 

These  violent  distinctions  which  Kant  draws  between 
"right"  and  "morality";  between  morality  as  the  object 
of  a  wholly  subjective  faith,  and  the  objective  knowledge 
of  morality;  between  science,  as  the  object  of  hurried  re- 
flection, and  metaphysics,  as  the  object  of  a  more  prolonged 
and  penetrating  reflection — these  violent  sunderings,  I  re- 
peat, break  up  the  unity  of  the  inner  man,  shake  the  firmness 
of  moral  consciousness,  and,  as  a  result,  favor  selfish  com- 
promises, and,  at  time  of  great  crisis,  even  surrender  of  prin- 
ciples. 

How  otherwise  can  we  explain  the  disconcerting  spec- 
tacle of  a  great  and  noble  nation,  which,  forgetful  of  its 
pledges,  its  political  aims,  even  of  its  deepest  convictions, 
those,  namely,  of  the  Christian  and  Catholic  faith,  witnesses 
without  protests,  nay,  I  should  say  with  cheerfulness,  an  out- 
rage— a  public,  iniquitous,  sacrilegious  outrage — which  a 
mighty  empire  avows  itself  ready  to  commit,  with  full  knowl- 
edge of  its  deed,  on  a  friendly,  innocent  and  disarmed  state? 

I  can  see  only  one  solution  to  this  riddle.  A  mental  at- 
mosphere has  been  produced  in  Germany,  in  which  legal 
matters  are  divorced  from  moral  right.  Kant,  Hegel, 
Nietzsche  have  spread  this  through  all  ranks  of  society.  In 
this  atmosphere  a  militarist  idea  of  things  has  been  formed, 
has  grown,  has  gathered  strength,  according  to  which  the 
nation  has  a  right  to  live  and  to  develop  its  life  to  any  ex- 
tent, without  being  answerable  for  its  doings  before  that 
moral  tribunal  of  conscience  which  judges  our  every-day 
actions.  Imperceptibly,  armed  force  has  ceased  to  seem 
what  in  truth  it  is — the  safeguard  of  a  right  based  on  duty — 
and  has  become,  according  to  public  opinion,  an  end  in  itself, 
an  end  which  bears  its  own  absolute  value,  set  outside  of  and 
above  current  moral  principles,  justifying  at  the  same  time 
all  sacrifices  and  all  outrages  capable  of  bearing  fruit. 


258   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


The  Grand  Chancellor  of  the  Empire  had  become  im- 
bued with  these  ideas — corollaries  of  the  initial  conception 
of  a  public  right  different  from  private  right — to  such  an 
extent  as  to  dare  to  offer  Belgium  a  bargain  of  which  a 
felony  would  have  been  the  reward. 

You  remind  me,  Baron,  that  I  have  not  always  judged 
Germany  so  severely,  for  I  formerly  held  it  up  as  an  exam- 
ple to  those  among  ourselves  who  blushed  to  utter  the  thrice- 
holy  name  of  God  in  public  in  our  legislative  assemblies. 
To  these  slaves  to  human  respect  I  said  in  fact:  uLook  at 
the  great  Protestant  nations,  Germany  and  the  United 
States,  who  glory  in  officially  proclaiming  the  sovereign 
rights  of  God  towards  mankind,  and  on  a  pre-announced 
day  offer  to  Divine  Providence  the  solemn  tribute  of  their 
thanksgivings.  " 

I  did  say  this,  nay,  and  I  will  say  it  again. 

But  if  our  public  men  have  sometimes  sinned  by  defect, 
others  may  sin  by  excess.  The  Gospel  says  it  is  not  enough 
to  cry  "Lord,  Lord!"  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 
Religion  degenerates  into  superstition  when  it  does  not  per- 
meate our  consciences,  and  morality  misses  its  mark,  par- 
tially at  least,  when  it  does  not  stretch  its  dominion  over  all 
actions,  social  as  much  as  individual  ones,  of  the  human 
personality. 

I  have  read  and  re-read  the  second  part  of  your  letter, 
but  I  dare  not  flatter  myself  that  I  have  wholly  grasped  its 
shades  of  meaning. 

To  most  of  the  considerations  which  you  there  put  for- 
ward, I  could  willingly  answer:  Yes  and  no:  yes,  we  are 
in  agreement,  in  one  sense;  but  in  another  sense,  we  are  by 
no  means  so. 

I  have  not  demanded  any  specially  favorable  treatment 
for  our  ecclesiastics  :  but,  remembering  that  the  Hague  con- 
vention (Art.  43)  makes  it  the  duty  of  the  occupying  power 
"to  respect,  unless  absolutely  unable  to  do  so,  the  laws  in 
force  in  the  occupied  country,"  I  have  put  the  freedom  of 
preaching  under  the  protection  of  the  Belgian  Constitution, 
and  consequently  I  have  also  put  it  under  the  shelter  of  in- 
ternational law.  • 


RIGHTS  OF  OCCUPYING  POWER  259 


I  do  not  confuse  patriotism  with  incitement  to  revolt 
any  more  than  you,  Baron.  With  you  I  recognize  that 
heated  words  do  not,  as  a  rule,  leave  the  hearers  unaffected, 
but  the  thing  which  matters  is  to  know  the  object  of  such 
heated  words,  and  what  kind  of  sentiments  they  are  likely 
to  give  birth  to  and  to  nourish  in  the  hearts  of  the  hearers. 

To  preach  rebellion  against  necessary  arrests,  to  drive 
suffering  hearts  to  despair,  or  even  simply  to  allow  them  to 
renounce  all  hope,  is  a  bad  thing.  To  warmly  urge  on  them 
endurance,  dignity,  confidence,  is  a  great  thing. 

Like  all  the  moral  virtues,  patriotism  keeps  mid-way 
between  excess  and  defect.  To  go  beyond  one's  measure 
is  an  evil;  to  stop  short  of  it  is  also  an  evil.  The  sole  ques- 
tion to  be  defined  is  then  to  know  at  what  moment  encour- 
agement to  "devotion  to  one's  country"  runs  to  excess,  be- 
comes blameworthy  and  dangerous. 

It  is  impossible  to  contain  in  one  single  formula  all  things 
appropriate  to  the  coming  time.  Hence  I  have  offered  the 
Governor  General  my  help  in  examining  into  these  special 
cases  where,  according  to  him,  the  clergy  have  misused  their 
ministry  of  the  word.  I  seize  the  opportunity  to  thank 
you  for  having  called  my  attention  to  sermons  which  are 
preached  at  the  Grotto  of  Lourdes  ;  I  will  not  fail  to  enquire 
into  this  subject. 

You  fear,  Baron,  lest  we  should  unduly  enlarge  the  idea 
of  a  lawful  patriotism,  but  are  you  not  yourself  inclined  to 
restrict  it  unduly? 

You  seem  practically  to  identify  the  ministry  of  the 
priesthood  with  public  worship.  But  we  hold  that  religion, 
and  the  sermons  that  extol  it,  ought  to  take  in  the  whole  life, 
and — consequently — ought  to  rule  not  only  the  direct  deal- 
ings of  the  soul  with  God  in  the  intimacy  of  the  conscience  or 
in  the  expression  of  solemn  prayer,  but  also  the  whole  of 
our  moral  conduct,  in  all  its  manifold  manifestations,  both 
private  and  public. 

New  circumstances  give  rise  to  new  duties.  The  preacher 
of  God's  word  would  fail  in  his  task  if  he  did  not  under- 
stand that,  in  the  tragic  time  in  which  we  are,  consciences 
cry  out  for  light:  must  they  accept  the  German  occupation, 


26o   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


or  merely  submit  to  it?  must  they  love  or  hate  the  occupier? 

Has  an  invasion,  unjust  at  the  outset,  become  a  lawful 
authority,  and — if  that  be  so — how  are  we  to  bring  due 
respect  for  the  occupier's  orders  into  harmony  with  loyalty 
to  our  King?  Which  is  it  that  comes  first,  the  fact  of  occu- 
pation or  the  right?  All  these  questions,  and  many  others 
which  are  linked  with  them,  cannot  be  stifled  without  danger. 
They  have  a  moral,  a  religious,  bearing.  The  clergy  are 
thoroughly  within  their  own  province  in  setting  themselves 
to  solve  these  problems. 

You  remind  me  of  something  I  said  at  a  banquet,  where 
the  national  Government  and  the  Belgian  Episcopate  joined 
hands  for  the  realizing  of  the  motto  of  our  Constitution: 
"Freedom  for  every  one."  No  intrusion  of  the  civil  power 
into  the  domain  of  religion,  no  meddling  by  the  religious 
authorities  with  political  matters.  To  God  the  things  which 
are  God's,  to  Caesar  the  things  which  are  Caesar's. 

Alas,  times  have  changed  !  It  would  be  bold,  to  say  the 
least, — own  this — to  compare  you  to  a  national  Govern- 
ment. 

When  the  relations  between  the  two  authorities,  secular 
and  religious,  have  been  restored  to  what  they  were  in  1907, 
I  shall  be  delighted  to  say  once  more  :  Let  there  be  agree- 
ment between  the  two  authorities  on  the  basis  of  our  consti- 
tutional liberties.  To  God  the  things  which  are  God's,  to 
Caesar  the  things  which  are  Caesar's. 

I  come  thus  to  the  main  object  of  our  correspondence: 
what  is  the  nature  of  the  occupying  power,  according  to  the 
principles  of  international  right,  as  codified  by  the  Hague 
Conventions?  You,  Baron,  hold  that  that  convention 
leaves  some  gaps,  inasmuch  as  it  does  not  lay  down  any 
duty  for  the  occupied  country.  You  seem  not  to  have 
grasped  that  these  gaps  were  left  on  purpose. 

The  law-makers  of  the  Hague  Convention  had  no  inten- 
tion of  doing  philosophical  work;  they  acted  and  spoke  as 
lawyers,  as  statesmen. 

It  is  amusing  enough — now  own  it — that  you  should 
reproach  me — most  good-naturedly  so  far  as  that  goes — 
with  having  read  the  Hague  Convention  from  the  stand- 


RIGHTS  OF  OCCUPYING  POWER  261 


point  of  a  "philosopher"  strange  to  the  realities  of  our 
earthly  life;  this  reproach  falls  back  straight  down  upon  the 
acute  diplomat  who  propounded  it. 

If  the  authors  of  the  Hague  Convention  have  not  as- 
signed to  the  occupied  folk  any  duties  with  regard  to  the 
occupying  power,  is  it  not  because  they  were  obedient,  on 
the  whole,  to  the  feeling  that  there  could  be  no  legal  duties 
— the  only  ones  which  come  into  the  question — without  cor- 
responding rights?  An  occupied  country,  not  having  any 
longer  rights  which  it  could  oblige — by  physical  force — 
the  occupier  to  respect,  has  likewise  no  duties  towards  the 
same. 

This  thought  deserves  to  have  light  thrown  on  it,  and  I 
thank  you  for  giving  me  the  opportunity  of  studying  for  a 
moment  this  interesting  problem  with  you. 

The  most  approved  speakers  of  the  Hague  Congress 
said  definitely  that  their  aim  was,  not  to  give  "rights"  to 
the  occupying  power  and  "duties"  to  the  occupied,  but  to 
limit  the  authority  of  the  occupying  power.  This  is  what 
M.  Rolin,  the  authorized  spokesman  of  the  sub-commission 
No.  2  of  the  first  Hague  Conference  (1899),  said:  "It  has 
been  formally  laid  down  that  none  of  the  proposed  articles 
can  be  held  as  entailing  on  behalf  of  those  States  which 
accept  them  the  recognition  of  any  right  whatever  which 
might  clash  with  their  respective  sovereign  rights,  and  that 
the  acceptance  of  these  laws  implies  solely,  for  each  state, 
in  that  which  concerns  it,  the  acceptation  of  a  group  of 
legal  rules  limiting  the  outward  acts  of  the  de  facto  author- 
ity, which  the  fortunes  of  war  may  put  into  their  hands 
with  regard  to  any  territory  or  to  foreign  subjects." 

These  conclusions  of  M.  Rolin's  report,  which  were  ac- 
cepted and  unanimously  voted  for  by  the  Hague  Conference 
in  a  full  sitting  of  July  5th,  1899,  renewed  the  debates  on 
principles  which  M.  Bernaert  had  raised.  Coming  back  to 
the  Brussels  proposal,  M.  Bernaert  said:  "According  to 
the  Brussels  proposal,  the  conquered,  the  invaded,  country 
recognizes  beforehand  the  invader's  rights  over  the  for- 
mer's territory.  The  invader  will  either  preserve  the  exist- 
ing laws,  or  will  change  them,  and  will  apply  them  accord- 


2Ô2   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


ingly.  The  officials  of  the  invaded  country  are  authorized 
to  put  themselves  at  the  conqueror's  service,  if  it  suit  them 
to  do  so.  ...  A  like  formal  pledge  does  not  seem  to  me 
really  admissible.  .  .  .  What  I  have  just  said  holds  good 
even  for  the  great  Powers.  Could  any  man  understand  that, 
beforehand  and  in  the  case  of  war,  the  beaten  side  should 
confer  rights  on  its  own  conqueror  over  its  own  land  and 
thus  provide  its  own  ruin?  .  .  . 

"It  does  not  seem  to  me  that  one  can  concede  beforehand 
as  a  right  something  which  necessarily  belongs  to  the  domain 
of  'fact'  and  might.  And  that  will  seem  still  more  obvious 
when  it  applies  to  small  countries  which  cannot — in  the 
nature  of  things — be  invaders,  but  are  exposed  to  the  risk 
of  being  invaded.  Here  there  is  not  even  that  uncertainty, 
of  those  material  risks,  which  I  described  just  now.  Bel- 
gium, as  you  know,  is  in  a  peculiar  position.  It  is  neutral; 
and  the  neutrality  is  guaranteed  by  the  great  Powers,  and 
notably  by  our  most  powerful  neighbors. 

"Then  we  cannot  be  invaded;  how  then  could  the  Belgian 
Government  submit  to  the  approval  of  our  legislature  a 
convention  in  which  is  anticipated  that  the  big  states  would 
break  their  pledges  to  us  and  which  sanctioned  in  advance 
deeds  which  could  only  be  reckoned  as  an  indisputable  mis- 
use of  force?  ...  In  my  opinion,  we  could  only  adopt 
such  arrangements  as,  while  admitting  the  actual  fact,  with- 
out recognizing  any  right  on  the  conqueror's  part,  would 
bind  the  latter  to  exercise  his  power  with  moderation." 
(Hague  C.  1899.  2&  Sub-C.) 

The  authorized  report  of  M.  Rolin  contains  the  answer 
of  the  Conference  to  M.  Bernaert's  speech.  "No  member 
of  the  Sub-Committee,',  we  there  read,  "ever  had,  more- 
over, any  idea  that  the  legal  authority  of  the  invaded  coun- 
try might  give  a  kind  of  sanction  beforehand  to  the  de  facto 
power  exercised  by  an  army  which  invades  or  occupies  a 
territory.  But  the  adoption  of  exact  rules,  tending  to  limit 
the  exercise  of  that  power,  did  seem  a  still  more  evident 
necessity,  conformable  besides  to  the  interests  of  all  the  na- 
tions which  in  turn  the  fortunes  of  war  may  betray."  (Peace 
Conference,  1899.) 


RIGHTS  OF  OCCUPYING  POWER  263 


Thus  appears  in  it*  proper  light  the  first  article  of  the 
Hague  Convention,  which  governs  the  whole.  "The  con- 
tracting powers — Belgium  as  much  as  Germany — shall  give 
instructions  to  their  land  forces  in  conformity  with  the  regu- 
lations with  regard  to  the  laws  and  customs  of  land  war- 
fare annexed  to  this  present  Convention." 

These  declarations  are  an  expression  of  the  philosophy 
of  right. 

Every  right  is  a  moral  power  of  holding,  or  of  acting, 
but  not  every  moral  power  is  a  right,  in  the  full  sense  of  that 
word. 

"Right"  adds  to  moral  power,  which  latter  implies  the 
existence  of  a  duty,  the  outward  means  of  performing  the 
duty  required  towards  the  one  who  has  that  right. 

In  other  words,  "right"  is  a  moral  power,  the  exercise 
of  which  "force"  sanctions  and  guarantees. 

International  right  regulates  the  legal  relations  of  one 
nation  to  another. 

In  the  normal  course  of  national  life  each  folk  has,  with 
regard  to  other  nations,  its  own  rights,  which  it  means  to 
insure  respect  for  by  every  means  in  its  power,  even  to,  and 
including,  the  use  of  armed  force.  But  when  the  normal 
course  of  international  life  is  interrupted,  when  a  nation  is 
momentarily  unable,  through  weakness,  to  enforce  respect 
for  its  rights,  what  happens  then? 

Assuredly,  its  rights,  so  far  as  moral  power  goes,  remain 
whole,  sacred,  morally  inviolable,  but  the  holder  of  those 
rights,  for  lack  of  effective  means  to  enforce  its  rights  and 
make  itself  sure  they  are  respected,  is  at  the  mercy  of  the 
conqueror  or  of  the  pro-tem.  oppressor. 

It  is  this  violent  state  of  things  with  which  the  protectors 
of  international  law  are  dealing. 

The  Hague  Convention  comes  to  the  help  of  the  con- 
quered or  the  oppressed,  and  says  accordingly  to  the  con- 
queror, i.  e.,  to  the  occupying  power:  You  have  before 
you  a  folk  unable  for  the  moment  to  resist  any  misuse  of 
force,  to  which  you  can  possibly  let  yourselves  go  ;  moderate 
yourself,  control  yourself,  do  not  misuse  your  power. 

Should  the  folk  of  the  occupied  territory,  exasperated 


264   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


by  an  injustice  against  which  they  are  defenseless,  give  way 
to  a  desperate  impulse,  you  would  be  drawn  into  bloody  acts 
of  repression,  without  honor  to  yourselves  or  profit  to  the 
victims. 

Be  brave  enough  then  to  be  just  and  humane. 

The  easier  it  is  for  you  to  misuse  your  strength,  the 
more  your  self-respect  bids  you  not  to  misuse  it.  The  more 
the  conquered  are  without  means  of  defence,  the  more  you 
owe  it  to  yourself  to  respect  their  rights.  Indeed,  to  attack 
a  strong  but  guiltless  adversary,  to  overcome  his  resistance, 
is  an  injustice.  To  knock  that  adversary  down,  to  finish 
him  off  after  having  disarmed  him,  is  monstrous. 

A  people  subjected  to  an  occupation  is  this  disarmed  ad- 
versary. Its  rights,  because  deprived  of  their  natural  sanc- 
tion, intrenched  in  the  inviolable  sanctuary  of  the  conscience, 
are  doubly  worthy  of  respect.  Firstly,  because  they  remain 
"rights"  in  themselves,  further,  because  they  borrow  from 
their  outward  helplessness  a  majesty  to  which  every  well- 
bred  man  cannot  but  bow. 

Therefore  the  Hague  Conference  summons  the  occupy- 
ing power  to  its  bar  to  tell  him  :  This  folk,  whose  territory 
you  occupy,  cannot  be  ruled  on  a  basis  of  natural  rights  and 
duties,  which  include  the  normal  legal  relations,  as  a  whole, 
between  nations,  but  you  are  not  the  less  bound  to  respect 
their  rights — morally  inalienable — which  we  ourselves  take 
under  our  protection.  Should  you  happen  to  violate  them, 
it  is  before  our  tribunal  that  you  will  have  one  day  to  give 
an  account  for  your  injustice.  Hence  we  now  put  before 
you  the  charter  of  your  duties. 

Such  a  situation  is  plainly  precarious.  Wherefore  the 
authors  of  the  Hague  Convention  take  care  to  emphasize 
the  idea  that  the  "occupier"  has  a  "de  facto  power,  an  au- 
thority de  facto"  such  as  may  "belong  to  a  hostile  army," 
and  where,  in  the  same  art.  43,  they  say  that  "the  authority 
of  the  lawful  power  has,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  passed  into  the 
occupier's  hands,"  they  immediately  take  the  precaution  of 
adding  that  the  said  power  "must  respect  the  laws  in  force  in 
the  occupied  country,  unless  absolutely  barred  from  so 
doing." 


RIGHTS  OF  OCCUPYING  POWER  265 


As  month  after  month  goes  by,  the  occupying  adminis- 
tration does  not  lose  its  provisional  character. 

Undoubtedly,  the  prolonged  duration  of  occupation  in- 
creases the  number  of  administrative  measures,  and  may 
enlarge  their  field,  but  the  occupying  power  remains  with- 
out "rights"  over  a  folk  which  has  no  duty  towards  that 
power.  It  is  lacking  in  moral  and  legal  authority,  that  is  in 
the  moral  right  to  demand  from  its  temporary  subjects  a 
submission  which  wears  the  character  of  a  duty,  as  viewed 
by  the  conscience  and  the  law  of  nations. 

Thus,  as  you  will  fully  recognize,  we  cannot  conceive 
a  country  having  two  governments  over  itself.  If  Belgium 
have  the  happiness  of  keeping  its  King,  its  Government  and 
its  army,  we  cannot  conceive  that  it  could  have  over  it  an- 
other legal  authority  than  that  of  its  own  King  and  Gov- 
ernment. In  the  social  order,  as  in  nature,  a  two-headed 
organism  is  a  monstrosity. 

But  then,  say  you,  you  will  thus  create  inevitable  and  in- 
extricable complications.  What  will  the  occupied  folk  do 
when  it  finds  itself  faced  with  contradictory  orders,  coming 
respectively  from  its  own  government  and  from  the  occupy- 
ing power? 

What  will  it  do  ?  It  will  not  hesitate  between  a  power 
without  authority  and  an  authority  without  power.  It  is 
to  the  legitimate  authority  that  its  choice  will  turn.  It  will 
put  "right"  above  "fact."  "Fact"  is  not  the  same  thing 
as  "right." 

A  fact  has  happened,  you  say,  proving  that  those  who 
attribute  to  themselves  a  moral  right  of  control  over  the 
acts  of  the  occupying  power  have  not  been  able  to  agree 
among  themselves  and  so  are  likely  to  throw  the  people  into 
disorder. 

I  do  not  know  whether  I  thoroughly  understand  you,  but 
this  is  the  meaning  which  I  believe  your  argument  to  bear. 
You  say  that  the  new  military  Belgian  law  does  not  "call 
up"  young  men  dwelling  in  the  occupied  parts  of  Belgium; 
and  from  that  you  infer — it  seems — that  the  Havre  govern- 
ment approves  your  police-proceedings  against  such  young 
men  as  have  tried  to  join  our  army. 


266    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


I  do  not  possess  the  official  text  of  this  new  Belgian  law; 
I  doubt  whether  you  have  allowed  it  to  come  into  Belgium. 
But  if  the  government  at  Havre  abstains  from  again  ''call- 
ing up"  the  young  men  whom  you  keep  here  by  force,  it  is 
not  because  they  approve  of  your  police-proceedings;  it  is 
quite  simply  that  they  submit  to  them. 

The  German  military  force  has  put  so  many  obstacles  in 
the  way  of  our  brave  fellows  that  it  has  been  practically  im- 
possible for  them  to  perform  their  duty  to  their  country. 
None  the  less,  the  Belgian  Government  always  has  in  ad- 
miration— do  not  doubt  that — as  much  as  any  of  the  pa- 
triots of  the  occupied  territory — the  volunteers  who  try  to 
put  themselves  at  their  country's  service,  at  the  peril  of 
their  freedom  and  their  life.  But  one  can  admire  heroism 
without  making  a  duty  of  it. 

The  people  understand  that  and  keep  their  conscience 
in  peace. 

You  also  think,  Baron,  that  it  is  useless  to  appeal  to  a 
legitimate  authority  which  has  power  to  compare  the  "Ger- 
man Orders"  with  the  Hague  Convention.  Practically, 
what  you  say  is  :  the  Belgian  Courts  remain  open  and  keep 
this  power.  It  would  be  interesting  to  get  two  exact  state- 
ments on  this  subject:  one  of  the  de  facto  position,  the  other 
on  the  de  jure. 

The  Belgian  administration  of  justice  remains  still  in 
action,  you  say.  But  has  the  occupying  power  always  ac- 
knowledged its  jurisdiction?  Has  it  not,  under  circum- 
stances on  which  I  will  not  dwell,  put  something  in  its  stead? 

And  the  sentences  of  the  Belgian  courts — has  the  occupy- 
ing power  held  them  to  be,  by  right,  irreformable?  If  you 
answer  Yes,  I  think  with  you  that  a  second  authority  is 
superfluous  in  all  judicial  matters.  But  then,  what  hinders 
you  from  recognizing  occupied  Belgium's  other  sovereign 
prerogatives?  If  you  feel  bound  to  answer  No,  will  not  our 
claim  for  the  sovereignty  of  the  Belgian  Fatherland  (under 
shelter  of  international  law)  remain  justified?  I  have  let 
myself  be  drawn  into  developments  beyond  what  I  foresaw, 


RIGHTS  OF  OCCUPYING  POWER  267 


but  if  therein  I  have  done  wrong  it  is  from  yielding  to  a  wish 
which  your  friendly  letter  seemed  to  suggest. 

Accept,  Baron,  the  expression  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Political  Department,  Governor  General  of  Belgium, 
L  7889.  Brussels,  September  15th,  19 16. 

To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Your  Eminence  was  kind  enough  to  give  my  letter  of 
August  1st  an  exceedingly  detailed  answer.  You  defend 
your  point  of  view  with  wonderful  subtlety,  as  one  might  ex- 
pect from  a  dialectician  well  versed  in  scientific  controversy. 
Nevertheless,  I  should  like  to  sum  up  the  impressions  made 
on  me  by  your  esteemed  letter  of  August  1 6th  in  your  words  : 
"We  agree  in  one  sense;  and  in  another  we  do  not." 

I  will  only  speak  of  the  "legitimacy^  the  occupation" 
in  so  far  as  your  Eminence  has  brought  forward  a  new  ar- 
gument. In  the  main,  our  points  of  view  do  not  differ  much 
from  one  another,  for,  as  I  have  said  before,  we  are  deal- 
ing merely  with  the  exercise  of  legislative  power.  This  be- 
longs to  those  in  occupation,  and  one  cannot  encroach  upon 
it. 

According  to  the  Hague  Convention,  those  who  occupy 
territory  come  into  possession  of  this  power  by  the  establish- 
ment of  an  effective  military  occupation,  and  from  that  in- 
stant the  inhabitants  are  subject  to  it.  According  to  this 
international  contract,  the  "fact"  becomes  a  "right." 

Your  Eminence  does  not  dispute  the  right  of  the  occu- 
pier to  exercise  public  authority,  nor  does  the  Belgian  Gov- 
ernment, inasmuch  as  since  August  20th,  19 14,  it  publishes 
all  its  orders  in  a  formal  manner  for  those  who  dwell  in 
non-occupied  territory.  Disputes  about  the  lawful  exer- 
cise of  authority  must  then  rest  solely  and  merely  on  the 
grounds  of  right  established  by  the  Hague  Convention.  In 
no  case  can  the  Power  of  Occupation  tolerate  or  admit  that 
the  former  government,  as  your  Eminence  would  have  it, 
retains  a  kind  of  suzerainty  over  the  occupied  territory. 

I  quite  understand  what  your  Eminence  is  aiming  at 


268    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


when  you  say  explicitly  that  you  wish  to  put  the  authority 
of  the  former  government  above  that  of  those  in  occupation. 
Are  you  not  thinking  about  objects  which  one  can  only  ex- 
pect to  be  realized  after  the  occupation  is  over?  I  shall 
return  to  this  later  on.  Meanwhile  I  intend  to  dwell  on 
questions  of  right  and  their  relation  to  occupation. 

In  your  esteemed  letter  of  August  16th  last,  your  Emi- 
nence raises  a  new  objection.  You  speak  of  the  provisional 
character  of  occupation,  and  you  thence  deduce  a  lack  of 
legal  power. 

I  did  not  know  that  such  an  interpretation  was  allowable 
at  law.  A  provisional  measure  resting  on  an  ordinary  con- 
tract has,  while  the  contract  lasts,  the  same  legal  validity 
as  any  permanent  measure.  The  Hague  Convention  says 
nothing  about  the  length  of  the  occupation.  So  long  as  the 
condition  necessary  for  its  legality  exists,  i.  e.,  the  state  of 
effective  military  occupation,  this  condition  produces  results, 
which  are  quite  legal. 

The  orders  published  by  the  Governor  General  will 
even  hold  good  after  the  occupation,  because  they  have 
been  published  by  a  lawful  government.  To  lose  their  force, 
they  must  be  repealed  by  a  formal  legislative  act  of  its  suc- 
cessor in  the  exercise  of  public  authority. 

It  is  enough  to  quote  one  example  to  show  that  the 
international  condition  of  the  occupied  country  has  not 
changed  during  the  occupation.  Relatively  to  Germany, 
Belgium  is  a  foreign  country.  It  has  its  post,  its  budget, 
its  customs.  Belgian  judges  administer  justice  in  the  name 
of  the  king,  and  the  inhabitants,  in  order  to  show  their  na- 
tionality, wear  the  Belgian  national  colors. 

1  have  thus  answered  the  exact  question  put  to  me  by 
your  Eminence.  The  exercise  of  sovereign  rights  in  occu- 
pied territory  belongs  legitimately  to  the  Governor  General 
appointed  by  the  occupying  Power.  The  ancient  holders 
of  these  rights  are  placed  neither  above  nor  below  him. 
Within  the  confines  of  the  occupied  territory,  they  have  lost 
all  legislative  power. 

If  there  be  any  restrictions  to  the  exercise  of  the  occu- 
pant's rights,  these  are  settled  by  the  Hague  Convention. 


RIGHTS  OF  OCCUPYING  POWER  269 


It  is  the  peace  treaty  which  will  determine  how  the  occu- 
pation is  to  end.  In  no  wise  does  it  depend  for  its  legality 
on  the  causes  of  the  war.  The  only  condition  preliminarily 
required  to  establish  this  legality  is  a  state  of  effective  mili- 
tary occupation. 

In  my  letter  of  August  1st  I  spoke  of  important  omis- 
sions in  the  Hague  Convention.  I  mentioned  especially  the 
absence  from  it  of  any  provision  for  participation  by  the 
people  in  the  administrative  organization  of  their  country. 
Your  Eminence  answers  by  a  reference  to  the  deliberations 
of  the  Committees  of  the  Conference  that  in  this  wise  they 
aimed  at  the  protection  of  the  weak.  I  know  it  and  I  wil- 
lingly admit  as  much.  But  my  argument  went  further.  I 
deplored  the  fact  that,  owing  to  the  lack  of  directions  as  to 
the  position  of  the  population  living  in  occupied  territory, 
the  same  population  were  afraid  to  lend  a  hand  in  the  work 
of  administration,  believing  that  by  this  co-operation  they 
were  compromising  their  political  honor.  These  directions 
would  have  precluded  the  possibility  of  much  useless  uncer- 
tainty such  as  has  been  shown  in  Belgium  among  employees 
of  the  post  office. 

It  is  self-evident  that  in  the  course  of  this  discussion  we 
must  never  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  not  only  is  the  Gov- 
ernor General  invested  with  the  Belgian  public  authority, 
but  that  his  mission  is  also  to  protect  Germany's  interests 
and  above  all  her  military  interests.  Obviously,  he  cannot 
make  use  for  this  purpose  either  of  the  tribunals  or  the 
Belgian  penal  code.  Your  Eminence  would  not  expect  any 
Belgian  judge  to  pass  sentence  upon  one  of  your  countrymen 
who  had  offended  against  German  interests.  For  the  same 
reason,  the  Belgian  tribunals  cannot  act  as  judges  in  a  court 
of  final  appeal,  and  thus  be  called  upon  to  decide  upon  the 
legitimacy  of  German  decrees. 

I  come  now  to  a  point  mentioned  above.  If  I  may  sum 
up  the  utterances  of  your  Eminence  during  the  time  of 
occupation,  I  take  it  that  the  following  is  your  point  of 
view: 

A  Belgian  patriot  cannot  bring  himself  to  observe  sim- 
ply in  their  "objective  judicial  form  the  regulations  imposed 


270   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


by  international  conditions  imposed  on  an  occupied  territory. 
Nor  can  he  resign  himself  to  wait  patiently  for  the  course 
of  events  although  he  can  have  no  influence  on  the  results 
of  military  operations.  What  he  wants  is,  first,  to  hear 
words  of  comfort  and  hope,  and  secondly,  to  give  full  and 
effective  vent  to  his  feelings. " 

To  reach  this  goal,  your  Eminence  would  like  to  give  the 
clergy  an  important  rôle. 

To  this  I  would  answer  first,  by  repeating  what  I  have 
said  before  :  that  the  clergy  have  never  been  hindered  from 
ministering  to  the  faithful  the  religious  consolations  of 
which  they  may  stand  in  need  at  the  present  hour.  More- 
over, Belgians  have  never  been  forbidden  to  show  their 
patriotism  in  a  seemly  manner,  either  inside  or  outside  the 
church.  To  my  mind,  the  best  way  of  showing  one's  patriot- 
ism is  to  be  reasonable  and  bow  to  the  necessities  brought 
about  by  a  state  of  war,  and  during  the  occupation  to  take 
one's  share  loyally  in  the  work  of  administration.  Civilians 
— and  that  is  the  obvious  meaning  of  the  Hague  Conven- 
tion— must  not  take  part  in  military  operations.  It  follows 
that  the  administration  of  a  country  ought  to*  be  looked 
upon  from  a  purely  objective  point  of  view  and  that  every 
step  taken  by  the  occupying  Power  should  not  be  consid- 
ered as  proceeding  from  a  hostile  intention.  One  often 
hears  words  like  this  in  the  mouths  of  intelligent  Belgians  : 
"This  Order  is  a  good  one,  but  we  cannot  acknowledge  this 
in  public  for  we  do  not  want  to  be  looked  upon  as  lacking 
in  patriotism." 

From  this  standpoint,  publications  injurious  to  the  Power 
in  occupation  and  exaggerated  outbursts  of  patriotism  are 
doing  a  great  deal  of  harm.  They  are  hindering  the  people 
from  regaining  their  composure.  There  is  only  one  ex- 
planation. Some  far-off  political  goal  is  being  aimed  at 
which  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  calm  which  ought  to  reign 
during  the  occupation  and  which  is  even  incompatible  there- 
with. One  is  tempted  to  infer  that  the  entertaining  of  hos- 
tile feelings  either  secret  or  public  against  the  occupying 
Power  is  used  as  a  means  for  reaching  this  goal. 

I  will  not  say  anything  about  the  political  activities  mani- 


RIGHTS  OF  OCCUPYING  POWER  271 


fested  by  priests  engaged  in  preaching  so  as  not  to  repeat 
anything  I  have  said  before.  In  my  last  letter  I  took  the 
liberty  to  remind  your  Eminence  that  you  yourself  in  quot- 
ing the  words  of  Christ  had  renounced  all  meddling  with 
politics.  Your  Eminence  answers  that  this  was  good  enough 
for  times  of  peace  but  not  for  the  time  of  war.  Without 
wishing  to  criticize  the  facts,  I  should  like,  however,  to  be 
allowed  to  refer  to  your  Eminence's  pastoral  activities  be- 
fore the  war.  On  going  through  the  collection  of  your  pas- 
toral letters,  I  have  more  than  once  come  across  utterances 
which  belong  beyond  all  doubt  to  the  political  realm.  I 
find  it  hard  to  remove  the  impression  that  your  Eminence's 
study  of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  furnished  you  with  reasons 
for  justifying  on  theological  and  philosophical  grounds  the 
intrusion  of  politics  into  your  episcopal  ministry  and  at  the 
same  time  for  defending  yourself  against  any  exception 
which  may  be  taken  against  your  line  of  conduct.  But  again 
I  beg  your  Eminence  not  to  look  upon  any  remarks  of  mine 
as  criticism,  for  I  want  to  confine  myself  to  reviewing  your 
behavior  during  the  occupation.  Under  present  circum- 
stances, I  think  that  liberty  of  worship  essentially  implies 
a  duty  on  the  part  of  the  clergy  to  waive  all  claim  to  meddle 
in  politics.  The  decrees  of  the  occupying  Power  would  be 
of  no  avail  if  there  were  places  where  they  had  no  force 
whatever  and  where  they  could  be  broken  with  impunity. 
On  sundry  occasions  our  attention  has  been  called  to  the 
fact  that,  by  allowing  during  the  occupation  a  certain  amount 
of  political  activity  in  the  churches,  we  were  favoring  the 
Catholic  party.  For  this  party  can  make  use  of  the  churches 
in  order  to  perform  certain  acts  that  redound  to  their  own 
advantage,  while  other  parties,  being  unable  to  hold  meet- 
ings, are  forced  to  remain  inactive. 

I  come  to  your  Eminence's  philosophical  disquisitions. 
Allow  me  to  repeat  once  more  that  I  do  not  take  up  this 
discussion  as  a  professional  philosopher  of  great  repute  such 
as  your  Eminence  is.  I  am  a  practical  man.  That  is  why 
I  give  my  attention  less  to  philosophical  abstractions  than 
I  do  to  the  stern  realities  of  life  and  men  in  general.  When 
I  call  your  Eminence  a  professional  philosopher,  I  do  not 


272   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


at  all  mean  to  say  that  your  Eminence  is  a  "stranger  to  the 
world."  I  only  mean  that  you  have  a  tendency  to  look  at 
everything  through  a  philosopher's  spectacles. 

As  regards  Kant,  it  never  entered  my  head  to  attack 
him.  In  my  last  letter  I  merely  observed  without  touching 
any  question  of  fact  that  even  if  Kant's  theories  were  as 
dangerous  as  your  Eminence  makes  out,  we  ought  first  of 
all  to  find  out  whether  they  have  really  filtered  their  way 
into  the  minds  of  the  German  people. 

I  now  come  to  the  fact;  I  must  be  brief. 

Your  Eminence  leaves  altogether  out  of  count  the  posi- 
tive moral  teachings  of  Kant.  I  do  not  believe  that  from 
the  Catholic  standpoint  you  can  have  any  objections  to 
raise  against  any  of  the  principles  themselves  contained 
therein,  no  matter  how  much  you  lament  that  this  morality 
is  independent  of  the  faith.  If  Kant,  while  adopting  the 
separation,  alleged  to  be  dangerous,  of  morality  and  right, 
was  not  prevented  in  spite  of  this  from  teaching  a  lofty  ideal 
morality,  why  should  his  followers  forget  this  teaching  and 
fall  into  a  brutal  subjectivism?  I  cannot  see  the  necessity 
of  this  ;  and  I  hold  the  morality  taught  by  Kant  to  be  a  pow- 
erful bulwark  for  protecting  the  sense  of  right. 

I  should  like  to  recall  in  a  few  words  my  argument  of 
August  ist.  Your  Eminence,  a  few  years  before  the  war, 
did  not  question  the  existence  in  Protestant  Germany  of  a 
deep  religious  feeling.  At  Aix-la-Chapelle  you  loaded  the 
German  Catholics  with  praises.  Can  this  truly  religious 
spirit  have  suddenly  disappeared  from  our  people?  Yet 
the  evil  influence  of  Kant  ought  to  have  made  itself  felt  long 
ago. 

Your  Eminence  connects  the  teachings  of  Kant,  Hegel 
and  Nietzsche  with  the  behavior  of  Germany  and  her  chiefs 
at  the  time  of  the  declaration  of  war.  You  must  then  of 
necessity  explain  the  coming  of  England  on  the  scene  in  fa- 
vor of  Belgium  by  the  utilitarian  philosophy  represented  by 
the  English  school.  I  think  that  it  is  precisely  on  account 
of  its  idealistic  tendencies  that  German  philosophy  is  so  ill 
suited  for  application  to  the  ends  of  real  practical  life. 
There  is  no  other  philosophy  which  aims  so  earnestly  at 


RIGHTS  OF  OCCUPYING  POWER  273 


freeing  its  teaching  from  all  conditions  and  therefore  to  at- 
tain pure  knowledge  such  as  is  independent  of  every  prac- 
tical purpose.  For  this  reason  it  has  often  been  blamed 
for  losing  itself  in  the  clouds. 

In  the  course  of  your  arguments,  your  Eminence  touches 
also  on  what  is  called  "militarism."  Assuredly,  there  is 
something  of  Kant's  categorical  imperative  in  the  spirit  of 
severe  discipline  reigning  in  our  army.  But  in  Germany 
we  have  always  held  that  a  good  army,  ready  for  war,  was  a 
guarantee  of  the  people's  prosperity.  At  times  of  political 
conflict,  when  the  military  situation  was  much  better  for 
us  than  in  August,  19 14,  the  knowledge  that  we  had  a 
strong  army  did  not  hinder  us  from  pursuing  a  peaceful 
policy.  Did  not  your  Eminence  yourself  clamor  for  a  strong 
army  for  Belgium,  and  on  this  occasion  did  you  not  quiet 
the  minds  of  soldiers1  parents  about  the  alleged  dangers  of 
barrack  life? 

I  do  not  think  myself  qualified  to  talk  about  the  beha- 
vior of  Germany  at  the  moment  when  war  was  declared;  but 
for  my  own  personal  edification  I  should  like  to  address 
your  Eminence  the  following  question:  "Cannot  this  way 
of  acting  be  defended,  according  to  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  by 
the  right  of  legitimate  self-defence?"  I  am  not  an  expert  in 
Thomistic  philosophy.  The  idea  crosses  my  mind  because 
your  Eminence  in  your  last  address  at  St.  Gudule,  while 
treating  of  another  topic,  refers  to  this  "vindication  (I 
would,  by  the  way,  call  your  Eminence's  attention  to  the  fact 
that  the  press  uses  the  word  "vindicta"  instead  of  "vindi- 
catio"  in  reporting  your  Eminence's  speech.)  If  your  Emi- 
nence would  let  the  philosophy  of  St.  Thomas  alone  and 
believe  that  Germany  has  acted  in  legitimate  self-defence, 
then  we  thoroughly  understand  each  other. 

My  letter  has  unfortunately  been  drawn  out  to  some 
length.  But  I  could  not  let  the  occasion  pass  of  expressing 
as  well  as  I  could  my  objections  to  your  Eminence's  remarks. 

I  offer  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere  es- 
teem and  I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  devoted  servant. 

(Signed)  Lancken. 


274   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Archbishop* s  House,  Matines, 

September  2$th,  191 6. 
To  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Head  of  the  Political  Depart- 
ment of  the  Governor  General,  Brussels. 

Dear  Baron — I  have  taken  advantage  of  my  first  free 
hours  to  read  attentively  the  considerations  you  unfold  in 
your  honored  letter  of  September  15th  (No.  7889),  and  I 
rise  from  that  perusal  with  the  impression  that  you  do  not 
look  for  an  answer  from  me.  I  think  that  the  estimates 
and  the  conclusions  come  to  in  my  letter  of  August  16th 
stand  practically  established,  and  I  believe  that  I  am  not 
going  beyond  your  own  opinion  when  I  take  your  silence  on 
this  subject  as  a  sign  of  acquiescence.  Still  the  new  points 
which  you  put  forward  show  some  misconceptions  or  keep 
up  some  complaints  of  yours  which  seem  to  call  still  for  a 
short  explanation. 

I  will  go  through  your  letter  step  by  step,  and  will  en- 
deavor, as  I  go  along,  to  deal  with  the  points  about  which 
our  views  differ. 

1.  To  put  the  Occupying  Power  in  the  right,  you  say 
that  the  Hague  Convention  uhas  turned  a  'fact'  into  a 
'right.1  " 

No  human  authority  has  power  to  do  that.  When  an 
occupation  is  unjust,  it  remains  so,  despite  all  conventions. 
The  supreme  resource  of  the  oppressed  is  the  power  of  pro- 
claiming that  a  "fact"  does  not  establish  a  "right." 
Nevertheless  the  "occupation,"  even  without  "right"  or 
contrary  to  right,  is  a  "fact"  to  which  the  folk  of  the  "occu- 
pied" country  have  to  submit  themselves.  The  rule  of  the 
occupiers  is  a  fact;  the  regulations  put  forth  by  them  are 
facts.  None  the  less  these  facts  do  not  make  a  right.  And 
that  is  why  the  following  question  arises.  Do  the  regula- 
tions put  forth  by  the  authors  of  an  "occupation"  which  is 
without  right  or  dead  against  right  call  for  submission 
from  the  citizens  of  the  occupied  country?  Do  they  allow 
of  it?  For,  in  short,  it  seems  that  in  the  face  of  injustice 
and  its  consequences  the  sole  attitude  allowed  and  bidden  is 
that  of  revolt. 

There  is  the  question  of  principle — question  of  morality 


RIGHTS  OF  OCCUPYING  POWER  275 


and  of  right — which  is  raised  by  the  Issue  of  regulations  by 
a  Power  lacking  from  the  outset  In  moral  and  judicial  au- 
thority. 

I  have  given  an  answer  to  this  question  as  far  back  as  my 
first  Pastoral  of  Xmas,  19 14:  No,  in  and  by  themselves 
these  regulations  do  not  bind  the  conscience.  Looked  at 
wholly  in  themselves,  they  even  call  for  non-submission. 
But,  between  two  evils,  we  must  choose  the  lesser.  To 
avoid  worse  wrongs  than  those  of  being  ruled  by  the  occu- 
pying power,  it  is  allowable  to  submit  to  certain  regula- 
tions which  in  themselves  have  little  force.  It  is  morally 
decent  to  conform  to  them.  The  citizens  of  the  occupied 
country  have  grounds  for  supposing  that  the  sole  sovereign 
authority  they  recognize  approves  of  their  peaceful  beha- 
vior, reasonably  and  within  the  limits  I  have  just  laid  down. 
Failing  this  submission,  it  is  true  that  the  occupying  power 
Is  destitute  of  the  prerogatives  of  sovereignty.  Hence  the 
Hague  Convention  imposes  on  them  an  obligation  to  admin- 
ister the  occupied  country  according  to  the  laws  of  that  coun- 
try. If  they  violate  these  laws  they  add  a  further  injustice 
to  their  original  one. 

2.  You  are  astonished  at  my  speaking  of  "the  provi- 
sional nature  of  the  occupation,"  and  you  credit  me  with 
deducing  from  that  provisional  nature  the  unlawfulness  of 
the  "occupation"  itself.  Further,  in  developing  your  ar- 
gument, you  make  me  speak  as  if  I  had  held  the  two  expres- 
sions "provisional"  and  "for  a  short  time"  meaning  the 
same  thing. 

Be  kind  enough  to  read  my  words  again.  You  will  then 
see  that  I  have  written  exactly:  "Though  month  after  month 
goes  by,  the  occupation  does  not  lose  its  'provisional'  char- 
acter. However  long  the  occupation  may  last,  the  occupy- 
ing Power  remains  without  rights  over  a  folk  which  has  no 
duties  towards  the  occupier." 

"Provisional"  means  something  which  happens  while 
one  waits  for  something  else.  A  provisional  government  is 
one  which  is  got  up  during  a  revolution,  or  during  a  war, 
whilst  awaiting  the  establishing  of  a  constitution  or  the  re- 
turn of  the  settled  government.    It  is  not  because  it  lasts 


276   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


only  for  a  short  time  that  the  provisional  government  is 
"unlawful;"  it  is  because  it  presents  itself  to  the  occupied 
country  with  no  credentials.  It  is  a  "Power"  without  title- 
deeds.  Its  existence  remains  precarious,  however  long  it 
may  last.    Its  regulations  have  only  a  borrowed  validity. 

You  tell  me  that  the  régime  of  occupation  will  end  only 
when  the  military  occupation  ends,  and  that  power  will  not 
pass  into  the  hands  of  another  Government  until  after  Peace 
is  concluded:  alas!  I  know  that,  but,  once  again,  that  is  only 
how  things  stand,  and  the  "ipso  facto"  is  not,  and  does  not 
create,  "right." 

3.  I  gladly  own  with  you  that  the  Hague  Conference 
will  have  some  criticisms  to  make  on  the  way  the  occupied 
countries  were  "administered,"  notably  on  the  functions 
and  the  lot  of  those  in  the  administration  staff. 

4.  I  was  expecting  your  answer:  "The  General  Gov- 
ernment cannot  concede  the  right  of  giving  final  decisions 
to  the  Belgian  judges." 

But,  if  so,  accept  our  conclusion  as  well:  i.  e.,  that  we 
cannot  say  we  are  satisfied,  when,  teaching  our  appeal  to  a 
moral  authority  which  confronts  the  German  decrees  with 
the  articles  of  the  Hague  Convention,  you  say  to  us,  "But 
this  appeal  is  useless;  have  you  not  the  Belgian  courts  of 
justice  always  in  operation?" 

5.  Your  respected  letter  then  passes  back  to  the  way  of 
thinking  about  and  upholding  patriotism  under  "occupation" 
conditions,  and  specially  as  to  the  part  played  by  the  clergy 
and  by  myself  in  this  respect. 

A  little  while  ago  we  were  discussing  the  nature  of  the 
occupying  Power.  Against  the  claims  of  "right"  you  brought 
forward  the  "fact."  To  the  title  of  that  authority  you  op- 
posed the  Power  in  "actual  practice."  In  turn  I  set  "right" 
against  "the  fact,"  theory  against  practice. 

You  outlined  to  us  a  delightful  form  of  occupation,  a 
"paternal"  government  which  had  at  heart,  above  all,  the 
general  interests  of  the  occupied  country,  and  you  asked 
me  if  the  wisest  and  at  the  same  time  the  most  useful  attitude 
on  our  part  would  not  be  to  co-operate  with  this  régime  of 
occupation,  while  keeping  ourselves  free  to  cherish  in  our  in- 


RIGHTS  OF  OCCUPYING  POWER  277 


most  hearts  distant  hopes  of  a  still  better  future.  It  would 
be  painful  to  me,  Baron,  to  answer  your  most  pleasant  letter 
by  a  judicial  demand.  That  would  be,  besides,  quite  need- 
less. But  can  you  forget  the  conditions  under  which  the  in- 
vasion of  Belgium  took  place?  The  calumnies,  the  vexa- 
tious proceedings,  fines,  imprisonments,  tortures,  deporta- 
tions, death  sentences,  bloody  executions,  requisition  in 
money  and  in  kind,  the  refusals  to  do  justice,  which  our 
hapless  country  (the  Catholic  clergy  first  and  foremost) 
has  had  to  undergo  during  these  two  long  years  of  the  "oc- 
cupation"? Do  not  the  latest  acts  of  compulsion  date 
from  yesterday? 

We  have  protested  sometimes  against  these  proceedings, 
we  have — to  the  best  of  our  power — kept  our  folk  quiet  by 
instilling  into  their  hearts  an  unshakable  trust  in  the  Al- 
mighty and  in  the  strength  of  our  allies;  but  not  even  to 
protect  ourselves  have  we  resorted  to  direct  reprisals,  nor  to 
incitements  to  active  resistance. 

The  fact  that — in  what  relates  to  me  personally — my 
teaching  has  been  (as  you  aver)  a  reproduction  of  the 
theology  and  the  philosophy  of  a  Doctor  of  the  13th  cen- 
tury, St.  Thomas  Aquinas, — does  not  this  fact  afford  a  pal- 
pable proof  that  (far  from  sacrificing  principle  to  a  pass- 
ing phase  of  politics)  I  remained  the  humble  and  faithful 
servant  of  eternal  and  impersonal  truth? 

Even  the  words  which  you  remember,  "To  God  the 
things  of  God,  to  Caesar  the  things  which  are  Caesar's,"  I 
am  ready  to  say  them  again,  in  time  of  war  as  in  time  of 
peace.  But  in  order  to  make  them  applicable  to  the  delimi- 
tation of  the  two  authorities,  religious  and  civil,  it  should 
be  understood  that  these  two  authorities  are  in  lawful  oppo- 
sition to  each  other. 

6.  The  letter  of  August  16th  expressed  my  view  on  the 
dangers  to  the  unity  and  firmness  of  the  conscience  brought 
about  by  those  manifold  water-tight  partitions  which  Kant 
puts  between  metaphysics  and  science,  between  knowledge 
and  "will,"  between  morality  and  "right."  I  need  not  go 
back  to  that  worn-out  subject. 


278    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Does  it  follow  from  this  that  I  deem  the  German  nation 
to  be  without  religion  or  morals,  and  that  hence  I  must 
disown  the  homage  I  have  lately  paid  to  that  nation?  By 
no  means. 

The  correspondence  in  which  I  denounce  the  infiltra- 
tions of  "Kantian"  ideas  into  the  minds  of  the  German  Em- 
pire bears  witness  still  to  my  admiration  for  "that  great 
and  fine  folk,"  which  took  part  without  protest  in  the  viola- 
tion of  Belgian  neutrality;  and  since  doing  so,  strives  by 
the  most  wretched  expedients  of  casuistry  at  bay  to  jus- 
tify the  perjury. 

The  spectacle  of  this  general  throwing-over  of  right 
and  truth  baffles  me.  I  seek  a  benevolent  explanation  of  it 
in  the  intellectual  environment  of  the.  nation.  If  you  can 
find  as  charitable  and  more  plausible  a  solution  to  the 
enigma,  then,  Baron,  give  it  to  me. 

You  raise  the  objection,  it  is  true,  that  logically  I  ought 
to  attribute  the  intervention  of  England  on  behalf  of  Bel- 
gium to  the  English  "utilitarian"  philosophy,  just  as  I 
make  the  German  philosophy  responsible  for  the  invasion 
of  our  country.  It  is  not  my  place,  Baron,  to  look  closely 
into  other  people's  intentions.  I  stick  to  the  facts  :  Germany 
has  done  us  harm,  to  assure  her  own  welfare.  England  did 
herself  harm  to  do  us  good.  Germany  attacked  us  when  she 
was  ready.  England  did  not  wait  for  that  before  defending 
us. 

Among  the  English  folk  natural  uprightness  triumphed 
over  the  localized  surface  influence  of  a  school  of  thought. 
Among  the  German  folk  the  age-long,  widespread,  deep 
influence  of  Kant  and  his  disciples  has  warped  public  feel- 
ing, and  an  inflaming  of  the  sentiment  of  national  strength 
consumed  the  barriers  of  righteousness  in  an  hour  of  crisis. 

7.  Rightly  or  wrongly,  it  is  to  this  inflamed  sentiment 
that  I  attribute  the  origin  of  Prussian  militarism. 

St.  Thomas,  into  whose  teachings  you  bid  me  search, 
holds  that  justice,  which  orders  respect  to  be  paid  to  public 
right,  is  the  highest  of  all  the  natural  virtues,  because  it 
makes  us  put  our  private  interests  below  the  interest  of  the 
community.    Armed  force  is,  in  civilized  life,  the  necessary 


RIGHTS  OF  OCCUPYING  POWER  279 


helper  of  "right."  The  army,  when  used  in  the  service  of 
"right,"  is  eminently  worthy  of  every  one's  respect,  esteem 
and  gratitude. 

Pacifism,  which  means  the  suppression  of  armies  and 
arms,  and  the  extolling  of  peace  at  any  price,  peace  for  the 
sake  of  peace,  peace  come-what-may,  would  doom  us  to  a 
like  disregard,  to  a  like  surrender  of  right  and  the  viola- 
tion of  right,  of  justice  and  injustice.  It  would  be  at  the 
same  time  both  a  social  mistake  and  an  act  of  cowardice. 

But  militarism,  which  wishes  the  army  to  exist  for  itself, 
and  does  not  subordinate  it  to  the  safeguarding  and  de- 
fence of  right,  of  order  and  of  peace;  which  hails  the  letting 
loose  of  military  force  as  glorious  manifestation  of  national 
power,  bearing  in  itself  its  own  justification, — this  kind  of 
militarism  is  another  social  aberration  which  identifies  honor 
with  pride. 

You  say  that  "Notwehr" — the  need  of  defending  one- 
self, if  I  rightly  understand  you — justifies  the  declaration 
of  war  by  the  German  Empire. 

Assuredly,  "Notwehr"  does  not  justify  the  invasion  of 
Belgium.  This  invasion,  from  our  point  of  view,  was  and 
will  ever  remain  an  injustice  ;  from  the  point  of  view  of  the 
(German)  Empire,  the  breach  of  an  oath. 

Germany's  existence  was  not  threatened,  nor  were  its 
rights  attacked.  "Notwehr,"  the  need  of  defending  oneself, 
of  which  it  seeks  to  take  advantage,  has,  so  it  seems  to  me, 
but  one  intelligible  meaning,  namely,  that  it  thought  the  time 
was  favorable  for  asserting  its  superiority,  for  the  exalta- 
tion of  its  natural  strength.  "Notwehr"  thus  understood 
is  a  corollary  of  Militarism. 

Once  again  I  have  let  myself  be  drawn  into  a  lengthy 
discussion  which  has  gone  beyond  my  reckoning.  I  have 
not  succeeded  in  stating  clearly  my  ideas  with  greater  con- 
ciseness. 

Accept,  Baron,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 
(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  M  alines. 


28o  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Political  Department  of  the  Governor  General, 
I.  91 8 1.  Brussels,  October  6th,  19 16. 

To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Your  Eminence — In  replying  to  your  Eminence's  es- 
teemed letter  of  September  25th,  I  feel  I  must  deal,  and 
point  by  point,  with  the  questions  therein  raised.  I  am 
obliged  to  take  this  course  as  I  should  be  loth  to  approve 
by  my  silence  certain  views  of  yours. 

The  first  question  is  that  of  the  legality  of  the  occupa- 
tion, a  point  which  you  again  call  into  question  not  only 
against  my  opinion,  but  also  against  that  of  the  Hague  Con- 
ference. To  my  way  of  thinking  your  Eminence  does  not 
sufficiently  take  into  account  that  herein  is  a  question  of 
international  contract  drawn  up  in  accordance  with  ordinary 
regulations  and  freely  agreed  to  by  the  contracting  parties. 
This  contract  within  certain  fixed  limits  establishes  a  fully 
defined  Right.  The  judicial  obligation  is  linked  with  a  de 
facto  state  of  things:  it  disappears  when  this  comes  to  an 
end.  However  this  may  be,  I  would  refer  your  Eminence 
to  the  members  of  the  Conference  themselves,  when  you 
expressly  refuse  to  accord  to  the  contract  concluded  by  them 
the  character  of  a  work  of  right — une  œuvre  de  droit,  be- 
cause, as  you  say,  no  human  power  can  change  a  "fact"  into 
a  "right."  Moreover,  there  is  another  altogether  essential 
point  which  we  should  not  lose  sight  of  in  our  discussion — 
it  is  that  the  Hague  Convention  treats  of  the  Right  of  War. 
It  regulates  the  way  in  which  War  should  be  carried  on.  In 
a  particular  manner,  the  arrangements  it  lays  down  on  the 
subject  of  occupation  are  destined  to  create  in  the  occupied 
territory  a  state  of  order  which  will  allow  the  civil  popu- 
lation to  follow  their  ordinary  manner  of  life  to  the  end  of 
the  War. 

The  lawfulness  of  the  occupation,  within  the  bounds, 
fixed  by  law,  cannot  depend,  as  I  said  before,  on  the  causes 
of  the  War.  The  question  whether  we  should  take  any  ac- 
count of  these  and  confront  them  with  the  result  of  the 
discussion — I  am  speaking  in  quite  a  general  way — is  a  mat- 
ter reserved  for  peace  negotiations.  Because  the  population 
of  occupied  territory  have  certain  natural  aspirations,  or 


RIGHTS  OF  OCCUPYING  POWER  281 


have  certain  ends  in  view,  that  is  no  reason  for  raising 
doubts  about  the  legality  of  the  occupation  itself. 

Your  Eminence  must  allow  me  to  observe,  that  you  ex- 
plicitly admit  I  am  right  when  you  say  :  "The  occupation  even 
whether  outside  the  law  or  contrary  to  it  is  a  fact  to  which 
the  dwellers  in  occupied  territory  have  to  submit.  It  is 
obvious  that  bounds  have  been  set  by  the  Hague  Conference 
to  the  exercise  of  legal  authority  by  the  occupying  power. 
In  cases  unforeseen  by  the  Hague  Conference  the  occu- 
pier, relying  on  his  own  sense  of  justice,  imposes  certain 
restrictions  on  the  exercise  of  his  power,  having  at  the  same 
time  regard  for  the  aspirations  of  the  people.  He  only 
asks  the  inhabitants  of  the  occupied  territory  to  accept  with 
docility  and  sweet  reasonableness  the  steps  taken  by  him  in 
his  capacity  of  trustee  of  the  legal  power  in  the  country 
undergoing  occupation." 

I  agree  with  your  Eminence's  definition  of  the  word 
provisional.  "Provisional  means  what  one  does  while  wait- 
ing for  something  else."  Indeed,  the  occupation  will  come 
to  an  end  in  one  way  or  another,  and  will  be  replaced  by 
some  other  juridical  state. 

As  regards  the  competency  of  Belgian  tribunals,  I  would 
only  remark  that  in  no  case  must  we  confuse  juridical  with 
legal  power. 

I  would  also  like  to  touch  briefly  on  national  demonstra- 
tions during  the  occupation.  Your  Eminence  avers  that 
you  are  doing  your  best  to  keep  the  people  quiet  by  uphold- 
ing their  patriotic  spirit.  But  in  addressing  the  public  prob- 
ably nothing  is  harder  than  to  harmonize  one's  intentions 
with  the  actual  effect  one  produces.  One  of  the  most 
brilliant  speakers  in  the  French  Parliament,  one  of  the  lead- 
ers of  the  Catholic  party,  told  me  once,  that  when  he  made 
one  of  his  sensational  speeches  he  was  oftener  than  not 
misunderstood  by  the  very  members  of  his  party.  As  I  have 
said  already  the  main  issue  in  the  present  case  is  not  merely 
to  keep  before  our  eyes  the  maintenance  of  public  order,  the 
disturbance  of  which  would  entail  needless  sacrifices,  but 
also  what  attitude  the  people  are  led  to  adopt  in  regard  to 


282    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


the  essentially  pacific  administrative  work  of  the  occupying 
power. 

Just  one  word  about  Kant.  I  know  well  enough  what 
your  Eminence  was  aiming  at  the  very  first  time  you  men- 
tioned Kant's  philosophy.  But  your  attempt  to  give  it  a 
favorable  interpretation  was  not  a  sufficient  motive  for  me 
to  say  that  I  appreciated  it,  when,  in  fact,  I  did  not  share 
your  opinion.  Regarding  my  remarks  about  the  "notwehr" 
it  seems  to  me  that  your  Eminence  has  not  quite  grasped 
the  meaning  which  I  gave  that  word.  "Notwehr"  connotes 
"the  act  of  defending  oneself  in  the  case  of  necessity."  In 
that  case  many  things  are  allowed  which  are  forbidden  in 
normal  times.  The  idea  of  necessity  is  not  unknown  in 
Theology,  as  in  the  case  of  urgent  baptism.  It  allows  the 
deviation  from  rules  laid  down  for  ordinary  baptisms.  If 
your  Eminence  will  review  in  this  light  the  events  which 
occurred  in  Germany  at  the  end  of  July,  19 14,  you  will 
be  satisfied  that  very  little  could  be  laid  at  the  door  of  Kanjb) 

A  young  German  philosopher,  with  whom  I  was  con- 
versing lately,  spoke  highly  of  the  wonderful  fairness  and 
clearness  with  which  your  Eminence,  in  your  work,  "The 
sources  of  contemporary  philosophy,"  lays  bare  and  criti- 
cally examines  the  doctrines  of  your  adversaries.  If  you 
would  apply  the  same  calm  and  unruffled  method  in  review- 
ing the  events  which  occurred  at  the  outset  of  the  war,  you 
would  probably  no  longer  defend  the  ideas  expressed  in  your 
letter  of  September  25th.  I  do  not  believe  I  can  convince 
your  Eminence  by  a  mere  unpretentious  letter.  I  would, 
however,  call  your  attention  to  the  following  facts:  Your 
Eminence  asserts  that  there  was  no  "notwehr"  in  the  case 
of  Germany,  because  her  existence  was  not  threatened.  .  I 
answer  that  her  existence  was  seriously  threatened  from  the 
moment  the  Russians  mobilized.  For,  in  examining  this  ques- 
tion, a  decisive  factor  is  to  be  found  in  the  conditions  of 
modern  warfare,  rather  than  in  some  diplomatic  scheme 
evolved  at  the  eleventh  hour,  the  sole  purpose  of  which  is 
to  gain  time.  If  we  keep  before  our  eyes  the  huge  number 
of  men  bearing  arms,  the  difficulties  of  setting  these  enor- 
mous masses  of  men  in  motion,  also  the  extreme  importance, 


RIGHTS  OF  OCCUPYING  POWER  283 


from  the  point  of  view  of  the  military  advantage  to  be 
gained  by  the  saving  of  a  single  day,  mobilization  is  tanta- 
mount to  war.  By  this  hasty  mobilization  the  Russians  neces- 
sarily brought  into  play  a  system  of  alliances  which  for  ten 
years  had  been  directed  against  us.  That  the  annihilation  of 
Germany  was  contemplated  must  often  enough  have  been 
apparent  to  your  Eminence  from  the  speeches  of  Entente 
statesmen. 

We  must  also  bear  in  mind  that  a  military  offensive 
can  very  well  be  the  beginning  of  a  defensive  war,  just  as 
on  the  other  hand,  an  aggressive  war  may  begin  with  opera- 
tions of  a  purely  defensive  character,  in  all  which,  geographi- 
cal conditions,  fortifications,  etc.,  .  .  .  are  very  important 
factors  to  be  reckoned  with.  We  must  also  take  into  ac- 
count the  interests  which  the  several  combatants  have  in 
carrying  the  war  into  enemy  territory. 

If  we  examine  the  remote  causes  of  the  War,  the  pretext 
upon  which  England  has  justified  her  entry  into  the  arena 
vanishes  into  thin  air.  I  am  avowedly  opposed  to  rash  gen- 
eralizations. True,  I  admit  that  many  Englishmen  have  a 
deeply  rooted  sense  of  righteousness.  But  England  as  a 
State  has  always  acted  in  her  own  interests  without  the  least 
scruple.  So  staunch  a  friend  of  England's  as  Georges  Cle- 
menceau has  reproached  her  with  this  tendency  throughout 
the  course  of  the  war.  If  your  Eminence  follows  attentively 
the  drama  of  which  Greece  is  the  theater,  you  will  no  longer 
be  able  to  boast  of  the  British  Government's  righteousness. 
You  will  arrive  at  the  same  conclusion  if  you  go  back  in 
mind  to  the  scandalous  overthrow  of  the  Boer  republic. 
Now,  as  then,  the  English  people  follow  in  the  wake  of 
their  government  with  enthusiasm.  Without  raising  a  single 
protest,  not  only  did  they  allow  a  small  people  to  be  dragged 
into  the  war,  but  also  compelled  it  to  wage,  in  the  capacity 
of  an  ally,  a  war  against  its  own  interests.  I  am  aware  that 
all  kinds  of  subterfuges  are  being  resorted  to  in  order  to 
prove  that  Greece  is  acting  of  her  own  free  will;  this  only 
makes  England's  attitude  more  reprehensible  than  ever.  It 
is  quite  certain  that  there  is  no  case  for  "notwehr"  here. 

I  would  not  like  to  end  this  letter,  although  it  is  already 


284   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


long  enough,  without  touching  upon  the  question  of  the 
so-called  "militarism."  I  am  quite  willing  to  concede  to 
your  Eminence  that  your  ideas  are  founded  on  the  doctrine 
of  the  great  mediaeval  philosopher.  But  precisely  on  ac- 
count of  the  depth  of  that  doctrine,  I  am  astonished  to  see 
your  Eminence  attribute  the  most  formidable  war  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  world  to  external  and,  so  to  say,  accidental 
causes.  Germany,  which  economically  was  on  the  eve  of 
the  most  prodigious  development,  had  everything  to  gain  by 
the  maintenance  of  peace.  The  true  cause  of  the  war  was 
England's  traditional  hostility  to  every  rival  she  encoun- 
tered in  the  world's  market  or  who  threatened  her  sover- 
eignty of  the  seas.  The  position  of  the  German  army  in 
19 14  was  less  favorable  than  before,  for  the  steps  taken 
to  strengthen  it  in  face  of  the  recent  increases  in  the  Russian 
and  French  armies  had  not  yet  had  time  to  bear  fruit. 
Moreover,  it  is  only  a  central  power  that  feels  the  need  of 
completing  her  military  preparations  :  in  fact,  she  has  always 
to  count  on  the  possibility  of  having  war  on  two  fronts, 
and  she  must  seek  to  compensate  by  the  rapidity  of  her  op- 
erations the  numerical  and  strategical  superiority  of  her 
foes.  England  never  felt  the  necessity  of  warlike  prepara- 
tions; she  has  lived  by  herself  in  her  own  island  and  had 
allies  on  the  continent  always  ready.  Yet  she  kept  her  fleet 
which  forms  her  most  important  arm  always  ready  for 
battle  ;  she  often  showed  this  by  trial  mobilizations  or  naval 
reviews  which  were  like  threats  directed  against  possible 
enemies.  England  is,  besides,  interested  in  a  protracted  war 
between  continental  powers.  A  hundred  years  ago,  when 
Europe  was  engaged  in  its  struggle  against  France,  she 
quietly  built  up  her  colonial  empire. 

To-day  the  blockade  which  excludes  Germany  from  com- 
mercial rivalry  secures  for  England  enormous  advantages, 
for  during  this  time  she  sells  coal,  munitions  and  arms  to  her 
allies  at  prices  never  reached  before.  There  we  have  an 
example  of  what  it  is  to  use,  with  as  little  hesitation  as  scru- 
ple, one's  material  pre-eminence.  German  militarism,  such 
as  your  Eminence  conceives  it,  namely  as  a  product  of  the 
sentiment  of  force,  has  no  existence,  because  our  army  is  the 


RIGHTS  OF  OCCUPYING  POWER  285 


best  school  where  the  strict  sentiment  of  duty  and  the  spirit 
which  subordinates  particular  to  general  interests  is  able  to 
develop. 

I  take  this  opportunity  to  forward  herewith  a  letter 
which  has  reached  me  through  the  official  agency  of  a  neu- 
tral state.  I  hope  shortly  to  answer  your  Eminence's  letter 
of  the  5th  instant. 

I  offer  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere  es- 
teem, and  I  have  the  honor  to  be, 

Yours  devotedly, 

(Signed)  Lancken. 

Archbishop's  House,  Louvain, 

October  10th ,  19 16. 
To  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Chief  of  the  Political  Depart- 
ment, Governor  General,  Brussels. 

Baron — Your  esteemed  letter  I.  918 1  dated  October 
6th  has  just  reached  me  and  I  hasten  to  answer  it  by  return 
of  post.  It  seems  to  me  indeed  that  I  have  only  to  acknowl- 
edge the  receipt  of  it. 

The  distinction  between  fact  and  right  in  a  régime 
of  occupation;  the  original  flaw  of  the  occupation,  which 
by  the  avowal  of  the  occupant,  as  well  as  according  to  the 
opinion  of  the  occupied,  violates  the  right  of  nations;  the 
respect  due  to  patriotic  sentiments;  the  theory  of  right  dis- 
tinguished from  the  morality  and  influence  on  German 
thought  of  the  philosophy  of  Kant;  the  German  conception 
of  militarism  :  these  various  topics,  which  have  formed  the 
subject  of  our  previous  correspondence,  appear  to  be  ex- 
hausted. 

Regarding  the  occupation,  I  should  like  nevertheless  to 
add  one  word.  You  enunciate  the  theory  that  we  must 
consider  the  occupation  in  itself  independently  of  the  condi- 
tions under  which  it  was  brought  about.  But  what  would 
you  say  if  it  occurred  to  a  man  to  come  and  install  himself 
in  your  house  under  the  pretext  that  he  had  a  quarrel  with 
his  neighbors,  and  if  in  answer  to  your  protests  he  con- 
tented himself  with  saying,  "I  am  now  in  occupation.  Here 
I  am  and  here  I  stay"  ? 


286  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Your  correspondence  touches  on  a  fresh  topic,  or  rather 
it  puts  forward  fresh  developments,  an  idea  which  entered 
only  incidentally  into  our  discussion.  Regarding  the  "not- 
wehr,"  which  may  have  caused  the  declaration  of  war,  you 
examine  to-day  the  general  situation  of  Europe  with  the 
view,  in  Germany's  name,  of  reaching  this  conclusion:  "I 
attack  but  it  is  only  to  defend  myself."  This  is  a  vast  sub- 
ject, and  to  treat  it  correctly  it  would  be  needful  to  review 
the  series  of  events  which  immediately  preceded  the  war,  to 
examine  the  books  of  different  colors  published  by  the  Gov- 
ernments of  the  belligerent  nations — the  Germano-Austrian 
correspondence  is  unfortunately  missing  from  the  collection 
— it  would  be  necessary,  in  order  to  follow  you  step  by  step, 
to  explore  the  history  of  English  policy  and  the  trend  of 
its  diplomacy  up  to  the  present  hour.  So  wide  a  discussion 
has  no  chance  of  finality.  Moreover,  my  means  of  informa- 
tion and  reference  are  to-day  too  scanty  to  allow  me  to 
engage  with  prudence  in  such  delicate  questions. 

To  the  names  mentioned  in  my  letter  of  the  5th  instant  * 
I  take  the  liberty  to  add  those  of  two  "aumôniers  du 
travail"  who  now  for  several  months  have  been  detained  in 
Germany,  M.  Houet,  prisoner  at  Anrath,  and  M.  Lesire, 
prisoner  at  Munster  in  Westphalia. 

Receive,  Baron,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Political  Department  of  the  Governor  General  of  Belgium, 
S.  No.  I.  9632.  Brussels,  October  14-th,  1916. 

To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your 
Eminence's  esteemed  letter  of  the  10th  instant.  I  am  also 
of  opinion  that  our  exchange  of  views  regarding  the  right 
of  occupation  and  the  questions  bearing  on  it  has  been 
exhausted:  all  further  discussion  would  be  superfluous.  I 
do  not  wish  to  revert  to  it  save  to  reply  to  the  last  remark 
made  by  your  Eminence. 

Your  Eminence  compares  the  occupation  of  a  country  to 

*In  a  letter  addressed  to  Baron  von  der  Lancken  and  dated  October  5th 
the  Cardinal  interceded  in  favor  of  several  persons  convicted. 


RIGHTS  OF  OCCUPYING  POWER  287 


the  violation  of  a  particular  abode.  I  think  this  comparison 
is  far  from  solving  the  question  in  discussion.  In  the  case 
which  concerns  us,  we  should  not  try  to  seek  arguments  in 
lame  comparisons  when  all  the  elements  for  the  solution 
may  be  found  in  the  question  itself.  A  man  thrusts  himself 
into  another  man's  house  with  the  plea  that  he  has  a  quarrel 
with  his  neighbor:  that  has  nothing  in  common  with  legiti- 
mate defence  (notwehr).  Besides,  I  only  spoke  of  the  gen- 
eral political  situation  and  the  conditions  of  modern  warfare 
because  it  was  essential  to  do  so  to  explain  Germany's  legiti- 
mate defence. 

I  avail  myself  of  this  opportunity  to  inform  you  that 
Viaene,  Director  of  the  Brothers'  school  at  Malines,  has 
obtained  from  the  Governor  General  the  remission  of  the 
rest  of  his  sentence  and  will  shortly  be  set  at  liberty.  Nev- 
ertheless I  must  ask  of  your  Eminence  to  be  good  enough 
to  give  me  some  assurance  that  Viaene  will  not  for  the  future 
commit  fresh  infringements  of  orders  issued  by  the  occupy- 
ing power. 

I  have  also  the  pleasure  to  acquaint  your  Eminence  that 
Mademoiselle  Marie  Vergote,  in  whom  your  Eminence  is 
interested,  will  soon  be  brought  back  from  Germany  and 
allowed  to  visit  her  mother  in  her  own  home. 

(Signed)  Lancken. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 


FRESH  ARRESTS  OF  PRIESTS 

ÂGAIN  and  again  the  Cardinal  had  complained  to  the 
Governor  General  of  the  harsh  measures  taken  against  the 
clergy  by  the  occupying  power.  He  had  made  it  clear  that 
besides  many  other  drawbacks  that  had  resulted  from  the 
arrest  of  priests  and  religious  the  exercise  of  divine  worship 
and  the  maintenance  of  classes  in  the  colleges  had  been  seri- 
ously interfered  with.  The  only  remedy  that  Baron  von 
Bissing  could  find  to  meet  this  inconvenience  was  to  order 
that  for  the  future  each  bishop  should  be  notified  as  early 
as  possible  of  the  repressive  measures  taken  against  any 
of  the  priests  of  his  diocese.  But  this  decision  was  carried 
into  effect  only  during  the  months  of  August  and  September, 
1916. 

Brussels,  August  $th,  19 16. 
Political  Department  of  the  Government  General  of  Bel- 
gium. 

In  the  organization  of  divine  worship,  with  a  view  to 
prevent  disturbances  arising  from  breaches  of  order  by 
priests  and  the  penalties  inevitably  resulting  from  them,  the 
Governor  General  has  decided  to  bring  each  case  as  early 
as  possible  to  the  cognizance  of  their  lordships  the  bishops. 
Agreeably  to  this  decision  I  have  the  honor  to  inform  your 
Eminence  of  the  following  caser.  : 

An  inquiry  has  been  set  on  foot  against  Canon  Alfred 
Kips,  director  of  St.  Mary's  Institute  at  Brussels,  for  having 
retained  and  propagated  forbidden  publications.  The  Abbe 
Bernaerts,  parish  priest  of  St.  Charles's  at  Antwerp,  has 
likewise  been  arrested  for  breaking  the  regulations  of  the 
censorship.    Brother  Viaene,  of  Malines,  also  has  been 

288 


FRESH  ARRESTS  OF  PRIESTS  289 


put  under  arrest.  He  is  found  to  have  taken  a  part  in  clan- 
destine correspondence. 

I  offer  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem,  ad  interim. 

(Signed)  Graf.  Harrack. 

P.  S. — The  Rev.  Daumont,  an  assistant  priest  of  Brus- 
sels, has  been  sentenced  for  various  misdemeanors  to  one 
year  and  six  months'  imprisonment. 

Brussels,  August  i6th,  19 16. 
Political  Department  of  the  Government  General  of  Bel- 
gium. 

To   His   Eminence    Cardinal    Mercier,   Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

In  accordance  with  the  Governor  General's  decision, 
which  has  already  been  made  known  to  your  Eminence,  I 
have  the  honor  to  make  the  following  communication  : 

Dean  Cooreman,  of  Overyssche,  induced  the  parish 
priests  Van  den  Eynde,  of  Neeryssche,  Covens,  of  Loom- 
beck,  and  the  Curate  Busseen,  of  Huldenberg,  to  hold  the 
Corpus  Christi  procession  without  the  sanction  of  the  mili- 
tary authorities.  The  Curate  Michiels,  of  Neeryssche,  lent 
assistance  during  the  procession.  On  these  different  ecclesi- 
astics fines  have  been  inflicted. 

I  offer  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem.    Per  interim. 

(Signed)  Graf.  Harrack. 

Brussels 9  August  24th,  19 16. 

1  Rue  Lambemont. 
Political  Department  of  the  Government  General  of  Bel- 
gium. 

To    His   Eminence    Cardinal   Mercier,    Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

Putting  into  execution  the  decision  come  to  by  the  Gov- 
ernor General,  I  have  the  honor  to  make  the  following 
announcement  to  your  Eminence:  F.  Schmitz,  S.  J.,  of 
Louvain,  has  been  arrested  for  assisting  Belgians  of  military 
age  to  cross  the  frontier.   An  inquiry  has  been  set  on  foot 


290   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


regarding  the  priests  Van  Linden  and  Peter  Duwez,  of  St. 
Mary's  Institute,  at  Brussels,  for  having  evaded  the  orders 
of  the  censorship. 

I  take  advantage  of  this  opportunity  to  acknowledge 
with  thanks  the  receipt  of  your  Eminence's  letter  of  August 
1 6th. 

I  have  read  it  with  interest  and  I  shall  do  myself  the 
pleasure  of  replying  to  it  in  detail. 

I  present  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)  Lancken. 

Brussels,  September  nf/z,  19 16. 
Political  Department  of  the  Government  General  of  Bel- 
gium. 

To   His   Eminence    Cardinal    Mercier,    Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

Pursuant  to  the  orders  of  the  Governor  General,  I  have 
the  honor  of  informing  your  Eminence  that  the  parish  priest 
Swalus  of  Laeken  has  been  condemned  to  a  year  and  two 
months'  imprisonment  and  in  addition  to  a  fine  of  200 
marks.    He  will  undergo  his  imprisonment  in  Germany. 

The  Curate  Pittoors,  of  Kessel-Loo,  has  been  arrested 
for  plying  the  trade  of  a  spy. 

I  offer  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem.   Yours  devotedly, 

(Signed)  Lancken. 

Archbishop9 s  House,  Malines, 

September  i$th}  191 6. 
To  the  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Head  of  the  Political 
Department  of  the  General  Government,  Brus- 
sels. 

Dear  Baron — I  beg  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your 
letter  dated  the  24th  of  August,  but  which,  owing  to  cir- 
cumstances outside  my  control  or  yours,  was  only  delivered 
to  me  on  the  6th  of  September.  There  you  tell  me  that 
Father  Schmitz  has  been  arrested,  and  that  proceedings 


FRESH  ARRESTS  OF  PRIESTS  291 


are  being  taken  against  two  professors  of  St.  Mary's  In- 
stitute :  Mr.  Van  Linden  and  Mr.  Duwez. 

Some  days  ago  I  learned  that  M.  Le  Cure  Bernaerts,  of 
Antwerp,  had  been  condemned  to  a  year's  imprisonment  and 
sent  away  into  Germany.  He  was  guilty  of  keeping  in  his 
possession  his  own  bishop's  pastorals,  and  of  having  had  a 
list  drawn  up  of  those  of  his  parishioners  who  were  in  the 
army. 

Canon  Kips,  director  of  St.  Mary's  Institute,  at  Schaer- 
beek  (Brussels),  has  just  been  sentenced  to  three  months' 
imprisonment  and  a  fine  for  having  been  found  in  pos- 
session of  two  patriotic  songs  and  two  of  his  bishop's  pas- 
torals. 

If  I  were  to  make  use  of  the  words  "to  punish  severely" 
with  regard  to  these  vexatious  measures,  which  for  two 
years  have  been  inflicted  on  our  beloved  and  noble  clergy 
(blow  after  blow),  you  would  cry  out  in  protest,  my  dear 
Baron.  In  your  inmost  heart,  however,  you  may  well  think 
that  I  am  speaking  euphemistically.  For,  after  all,  I  take 
it  that  only  soldiers  by  profession,  whose  horizon  does  not 
extend  beyond  the  barrack  walls,  suppose  that  momentary 
success  justifies  the  misuse  of  force;  but  that  men  put  in 
charge  of  the  civil  administration  of  an  unjustly  occupied 
country,  that  professional  diplomats  can  approve  of  pro- 
ceedings at  once  useless  and  vexatious,  that  passes  my  un- 
derstanding. Unhappily,  whether  you  submit  to  the  orders 
of  the  military  or  whether  you  make  your  own,  the  out- 
come is  the  same  for  our  poor  country  and  our  splendid 
clergy.  It  is  and  will  remain  the  same  for  the  great  fame 
of  the  German  empire.  When  the  victims  are  able  to  speak 
freely,  it  will  not  be  those  who  sat  in  judgment  on  them  who 
will  cut  a  good  figure  at  the  bar  of  impartial  history. 

Do  you  wish  for  another  specimen  of  which  you  seem 
not  to  be  aware  of  German  justice? 

Two  pupils  of  the  Malines  Grand  Séminaire — MM. 
Willems  and  Malve — are  among  the  ecclesiastical  criminals 
of  recent  date. 

Mr.  Willems  has  been  in  prison  for  six  weeks,  no  one 
knows  why.    I  presume  that  he  is  suspected  of  having  sent 


2Ç2  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


a  letter  of  encouragement  to  his  brother  at  the  front.  And 
the  "preventive  detention"  still  goes  on.  I  say  nothing  as 
to  the  hateful  kind  of  questioning  which  he  and  one  of  his 
companions,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Soille,  had  to  undergo.  Their 
case  has  become  known  to  every  one. 

It  is  on  this  case  of  Mr.  Malve  that  I  wish  to  fix  your 
attention  for  a  moment,  especially  as  you  are  not,  I  under- 
stand, altogether  unacquainted  with  it. 

The  young  cleric,  Mr.  Malve,  in  a  private  room  of  a 
private  house — the  seminary,  to  wit,  was  enjoying  his  play- 
time with  two  of  his  fellow  students.  He  had  sung  sundry 
tunesv  some  religious,  some  secular  ones.  It  came  into  his 
head  to  strike  up  the  " Marseillaise, "  without  thinking  that 
outside  in  the  street  a  German  was  listening.  The  next  day 
the  police  thrust  their  way  into  the  seminary  and  threat- 
ened all  there  with  a  penalty — always  the  same  respect  for 
The  Hague  convention  ! — if  the  author  of  the  mischief  did 
not  make  himself  known. 

The  generous-minded  student,  not  personally  known  to 
me — I  am  anxious  to  emphasize  that  fact — hurried  before 
his  judges,  anxious  above  all  to  shelter  his  fellow  students. 

A  man  of  good  sense,  I  do  not  say  one  of  warm  heart, 
would  have  pardoned  him,  would  he  not?  or  else  have  con- 
gratulated the  brave  young  man  on  his  act? 

By  no  means.  Mr.  Malve  was  condemned  to  three 
months'  imprisonment.  More  than  that,  the  rector  of  the 
seminary,  deemed  answerable  for  a  bit  of  fun  of  which  he 
could  not  have  been  aware,  was  also  condemned  to  a  fine 
of  300  marks. 

Nor  is  this  all.  After  a  whole  month's  detention  your 
political  department  makes  it  known  to  the  heads  of  the 
seminary  that  if  a  petition  for  pardon  is  presented  Mr. 
Malve  would  be  set  free.  The  petition  was  duly  drawn 
up.  It  was  put  into  your  own  hands,  Baron.  You  re- 
ceived it.  But  at  that  moment  it  seemed  to  you  that  Ger- 
man justice  could  only  stoop  to  mercy  after  fresh  inquiries 
and  new  reports,  which  amounts  in  plain  words  to  waiting 
until  the  prisoner  had  undergone  his  full  sentence. 

In  face  of  facts  so  edifying — and  there  are  plenty  of 


FRESH  ARRESTS  OF  PRIESTS  293 


others  we  could  cite — one  hardly  knows  whether  to  be  angry 
or  to  smile  when  a  good  man  writes  in  the  uMonthly  Cor- 
respondence,1' published  by  the  committee  for  the  defense  of 
German  and  Catholic  interests  (much  more  German  than 
Catholic)  during  the  war  (issue  of  July,  1916,  P.  82)  that 
the  Belgian  clergy  ought  in  justice  to  appreciate  "the  frank 
benevolence  of  the  foreign  holders  of  power''  (in  Bel- 
gium). 

It  is  true  that  the  esteemed  Mr.  Krebs,  professor  at 
Friburg  in  Breisgau — for  it  is  to  him  that  this  matter  re- 
lates— asserts  that  he  keeps  himself  "au  courant"  of  the 
newspapers  and  has  made  a  journey  through  Belgium  to 
study  things  there. 

He  does  not  like  inquiries  in  which  the  voices  of  oppos- 
ing sides  are  given.  He  deems  it  surer  to  hold  them  by 
himself  alone. 

But  how  is  it  that  this  good  gentleman  does  not  feel 
how  .  .  .  well,  unchivalrous  it  is  to  attack  under  the  pro- 
tection of  German  bayonets  a  body  of  clergy  which  he  knows 
to  be  gagged? 

When  your  newspapers  bounded  on  my  letter,  "On 
My  Return  from  Rome,"  as  if  on  some  prey,  and  put  into 
my  mouth  a  prayer  that  an  epidemic  might  break  out  among 
your  troops,  I  asked  his  Excellency  the  Governor  General 
if  he  would  loyally  transmit  to  my  German  and  Austrian 
brethren  in  the  Catholic  episcopate  a  letter,  in  which  I 
showed  that  my  accusers  make  me  talk  nonsense.  It  will 
be  enough  for  you  to  read  page  5  of  the  accompanying 
document  *  to  become  quite  aware  yourself  that  this  is 
really  so.  The  context  of  my  pastoral  shuts  out  any  logical 
possibility  of  this  hateful  interpretation. 

The  Governor  General  refused  to  agree  to  my  request, 
alleging  that  my  pastoral  had  been  published  in  Germany, 
and  that  those  who  read  it  were  in  a  position  to  make  cor- 
rection, which  I  urged,  for  themselves. 

But  my  pastoral  had  not  been  published  in  Germany.  I 

♦With  this  letter,  addressed  to  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  was  also  sent  a 
copy  of  my  letter  of  August  24,  which  his  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing 
had  refused  to  forward  to  the  German  bishops. 


294  CARDINAL  MERCIERE  OWN  STORY 


should  be  very  anxious  to  learn  in  what  paper,  in  what 
magazine,  its  authorized  text  has  been  given.  Thus  calumny 
runs  its  course. 

An  article,  the  source  of  which  is  not  known  to  you,  in 
the  "Frankfurter  Zeitung,"  of  Monday,  August  7th,  has 
picked  it  up  and  set  it  again  in  circulation. 

Is  it  too  much  to  ask  you,  Baron,  to  deny  this  untruth  or 
to  obtain  for  me  the  means  of  denying  it? 

Perhaps,  therefore,  you  will  consent  to  inform  the 
"Monthly  Catholic  Correspondence"  more  accurately  upon 
"the  frank  benevolence  of  the  foreign  holders  of  power  (in 
Belgium).  " 

The  foreign  holders  of  power  solemnly  bound  them- 
selves, by  the  Governor  General's  circular  dated  April  22d, 
to  make  requisitions  upon  me  "in  kind."  And  our  provinces 
here  paid  forty  millions  as  the  price  of  this  undertaking. 
But  the  monopolizing  of  vegetables,  potatoes,  flour,  eggs 
and  butter,  the  requisitioning  of  horses  go  on  as  cruelly  as 
ever.   Is  this  freedom?  Is  this  benevolence? 

The  foreign  holders  of  power,  who  have  already  ex- 
torted forty  million  (francs)  a  month  *  soon  to  amount  to  a 
thousand  million  (francs),  are  at  this  moment  forcing  the 
doors  of  the  National  Bank  and  despoiling  us  of  six  hundred 
and  twenty-five  million  marks,  which  are  on  their  way 
through  the  channel  of  the  German  banks,  to  swell  the  Ger- 
man Imperial  Loan,  i.  e.,  to  furnish  our  enemies  with  muni- 
tions of  war  to  be  used  against  us.t  Is  this  freedom?  Is 
this  benevolence? 

These  deeds  of  violence,  whether  they  originate  in  the 
"military  justice"  or  in  the  "political  administration,"  re- 
press patriotism  also  in  stifling  its  expression  ;  but  do  not  be- 
lieve, I  beg  of  you,  that  silence  (as  to  this)  indicates  peace. 
Think  on  the  words  of  Tacitus:  "They  enforce  silence  and 
call  it  peace."   Let  us  not  pile  up  inextinguishable  hatred  in 

♦By  an  order  dated  December  10,  1914,  the  Belgian  people  had  to  pay 
a  monthly  contribution  to  the  war  of  forty  million  francs  during  a  year. 
By  a  new  order,  November  10,  191 5,  this  monthly  contribution  had  to  be 
paid  until  further  orders. 

tOn  September  12  the  German  Government  had  taken  by  violence  all 
the  money  in  German  marks  existing  in  the  National  Bank  and  in  the 
Société  Générale. 


FRESH  ARRESTS  OF  PRIESTS  295 


the  Belgian  heart.  War  and  its  doings  are  only  to  be  jus- 
tified in  so  far  as  they  are  helps  toward  peace. 

Accept,  Baron,  the  expression  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 


INTERFERENCE  OF  THE  OCCUPYING  POWER  WITH  THE 
TEACHING  OF  THE  NORMAL  SCHOOLS 

Beginning  with  the  month  of  February,  191 6,  the  Gov- 
ernor General,  on  the  pretense  of  doing  justice  to  the  Flem- 
ish claims,  in  reality  to  prepare  for  the  administrative  sepa- 
ration which  later  on  he  intended  to  bring  about,  published 
a  long  series  of  orders  concerning  the  use  of  Flemish  in 
the  primary  schools.  Certain  provisions  of  these  orders 
were  at  variance  with  Belgian  legislation.  Accordingly,  M. 
de  la  Vallée  Poussin,  Secretary  General  of  the  Ministry  of 
Sciences  and  Arts,  in  a  note  addressed  to  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral, declared  that  he  could  not  become  an  accomplice  in 
the  execution  of  illegal  decrees.  The  only  answer  vouch- 
safed to  him  by  the  Governor  General  was  an  intimation 
that  he  was  forbidden  for  the  future  the  exercise  of  his 
functions  as  well  as  all  access  to  the  office  of  his  ministry. 

On  the  2d  of  August  Baron  von  Bissing  published  a 
fresh  order  "relative  to  the  teaching  staff  in  primary  and 
infant  schools,  also  concerning  the  granting  of  certificates 
to  qualified  teachers." 

This  order,  upsetting  the  whole  teaching  of  the  normal 
schools  in  the  Flemish  provinces,  was  in  flagrant  opposition 
to  the  Belgian  law.  In  Article  3,  paragraph  2,  he  ven- 
tured even  to  fix  the  language  in  which  communications  to 
parents  should  be  drawn  up.  M.  Corman,  director  of  pri- 
mary education,  having  officially  informed  the  Cardinal  of 
the  publication  of  this  order,  received  this  reply: 

Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

October  13th,  1916. 
To  M.  Corman,  Director  of  Primary  Education,  Brussels. 

Sir — You  have  been  kind  enough  to  convey  to  me,  on  be- 
half of  the  Minister  of  Sciences  and  Arts,  an  order  of 

296 


INTERFERENCE  WITH  SCHOOLS  297 


August  2d,  19 16,  concerning  the  use  of  languages  in  the 
teaching  at  the  normal  schools.  This  order,  I  grieve  to  say, 
ignores  The  Hague  convention  and  the  Belgian  constitu- 
tion. It  transgresses  the  limits  fixed  by  Article  43  to  the 
acts  of  the  occupying  power.  In  virtue  of  this  Article  43, 
indeed,  the  steps  which  the  occupying  power  is  authorized 
to  take  have  exclusively  for  their  object  the  re-establishment 
and  maintenance  of  public  life  and  order,  by  respecting, 
save  where  quite  impossible,  the  laws  already  in  force  in 
the  country. 

The  regulation  on  a  novel  basis  of  the  use  of  lan- 
guages in  normal  education  has  no  relation  whatever  to  the 
public  life  and  order  of  the  country.  The  occupying  power 
by  interfering  in  this  matter  goes  beyond  the  rôle  which 
is  recognized  as  belonging  to  it  by  the  law  of  nations.  Fur- 
thermore, the  provisions  contained  in  Article  3,  paragraph 
2,  is  tainted  with  unconstitutionalism.  In  virtue  of  the  con- 
stitution, Article  23,  the  use  of  languages  employed  in  Bel- 
gium is  optional.  It  can  only  be  regulated  by  the  legislature, 
and  this  regulation  can  only  be  enforced  in  administrative 
and  judicial  acts.  Our  free  schools  enjoy  in  this  respect 
the  same  privileges  as  private  individuals.  The  correspond- 
ence with  pupils'  parents  is  on  all  fours  with  a  correspond- 
ence between  private  persons;  no  legal  enactment  fixes  the 
language  to  be  employed  nor  can  any  member  of  the  legis- 
lature seek  to  fix  it  without  a  direct  infringement  of  Article 
23  of  the  constitution. 

Thus  the  law  of  1878,  which  prescribes  the  languages 
to  be  used  in  administrative  correspondence,  only  concerns 
state  functionaries.  Communes  and  private  individuals 
make  use  of  what  language  they  choose. 

The  limitation  which  the  constitution  imposes  on  the 
legislature  is  imposed  a  fortiori  on  the  executive.  Regard 
for  the  law  of  nations  and  the  Belgian  constitution  forbids 
me  then  to  take  any  part  in  the  enforcement  of  the  order 
of  August  2d  on  the  free  normal  schools  of  the  diocese  of 
Malines. 


298   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Receive,  Mr.  Director,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Though  there  was  no  need  for  them,  the  Governor 
General  opened  two  new  Flemish  normal  schools  at  Laeken 
and  at  Uccle.  M.  Corman,  director  of  primary  education, 
officially  informed  the  Cardinal  of  this  and  requested  him 
to  appoint  for  each  of  these  schools  an  ecclesiastic  to  whom 
instruction  in  religion  and  morals  could  be  intrusted.  The 
Cardinal  refused  his  assistance  to  the  establishment  of  these 
needless  schools,  designed  as  they  were  to  exercise  a  Ger- 
manizing influence  on  the  Belgians.  The  number  of  his 
priests  had,  moreover,  been  considerably  reduced,  a  good 
number  of  them  being  with  the  army  in  Holland  or  in  Eng- 
land, or  in  the  prisons  of  Belgium  or  Germany. 

This  is  the  reply  he  addressed  to  M.  Corman  : 

Archbishop' s  House,  Malines, 

November  ist,  19 16. 
To  the  Director  General  of  Primary  Education. 

Sir — I  beg  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  letter 
of  3 1st  October,  in  which  you  inform  me  that  on  6th  Novem- 
ber next  two  training  colleges  for  teachers  will  be  opened, 
one  at  Laeken,  the  other  at  Uccle. 

You  request  me  to  appoint  an  ecclesiastic  to  each  of 
these  schools  to  give  instruction  in  religion  and  morals  or 
in  the  event  of  my  considering  such  nominations  unneces- 
sary for  the  time  being,  to  examine  the  feasibility  of  in- 
trusting such  instructions  to  curates. 

I  regret  I  see  no  means  of  complying  with  your  request 
owing  to  the  scarcity  of  priests  from  which  we  are  suf- 
fering. A  good  number  of  our  clergy  are  serving  as  chap- 
lains or  stretcher-bearers  at  the  front,  and  one  after  an- 
other our  zealous  priests  have  been  sent  to  prison  in  Bel- 
gium or  deported  into  Germany.  Hence  the  number  of 
priests  employed  in  active  work,  either  in  parochial  duties 
or  in  teaching,  is  daily  growing  less;  they  are  overbur- 


INTERFERENCE  WITH  SCHOOLS  299 


dcned  with  work,  and  I  shrink  from  rendering  their  task 
still  heavier. 

Accept  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 


CHAPTER  XXX 


INTERVIEW  BETWEEN  THE  CARDINAL  AND  BARON  VON  DER 
LANCKEN  REGARDING  THE  PASTORAL  LETTER 
"THE  VOICE  OF  god" 

Another  pastoral  letter  of  the  Cardinal,  dated  Rosary 
Sunday  (October  ist,  1916),  entitled  "The  Voice  of  God," 
was  the  cause  of  a  fresh  conflict  between  the  Cardinal  and 
the  Governor  General. 

The  first  part  of  the  letter  was  read  in  all  the  churches 
of  the  diocese  on  Sunday,  October  15th,  of  the  same  year. 

After  speaking  of  the  protracted  trial  to  which  Belgium 
had  been  subjected,  the  Cardinal  exhorted  his  flock  to  pause 
and  consider  and  endeavor  to  realize  the  deep  meaning  of 
the  circumstances  of  the  times,  and  fixing  their  eyes  on 
eternity  to  listen  to  the  voice  of  God.  "Christ,"  said  he, 
"gives  to  us  through  the  mystery  of  His  death  and  resur- 
rection the  key  to  these  events.  Life  springs  from  death." 
The  letter  concluded  with  an  exhortation  to  prayer.  "Let 
us  be  grateful  to  God.  The  independence  of  our  country 
is  today  no  longer  subject  to  doubt;  let  us  bless  God  for 
having  assured  its  preservation.  Let  us  pray  for  those  of 
our  dear  country  who  are  present  and  those  who  are  away, 
our  brave  prisoners  and  our  dear  refugees  ...  we  must 
not  exclude  any  one  from  our  prayers,  not  even  our  enemies, 
but  Christian  theology  teaches  us  to  regulate  our  affections. 
'Love  with  predilection,'  says  St.  Thomas,  'those  who  do 
good  to  you.'  Let  us  then  above  all  pray  for  our  dear  sol- 
diers whom  we  hold  so  dear,  not  only  on  account  of  the 
close  and  intimate  ties  of  blood  and  patriotism,  but  also  for 
their  wholehearted  devotedness  to  their  country  and  to  us. 
Let  us  pray  also  for  their  wives  and  mothers,  silent  heroines 
of  the  great  European  drama,  and  finally  for  the  armies 
of  our  allies,  who,  in  the  east,  west  and  south,  fight  so 

300 


"THE  VOICE  OF  GOD"  301 

bravely  and  with  such  stubbornness  for  the  common  cause." 
The  Cardinal  furthermore  asked  for  prayers  for  stricken 
Poland  and  the  poor  Armenian  people. 

"And  let  us  continue  to  the  end,"  he  concludes,  "pa- 
tiently, perseveringly.  'Sursum  corda.'  Lift  up  your  hearts. 
Let  us  hasten  our  deliverance.  Let  us  implore  God  in  the 
words  of  the  holy  liturgy,  'Come  to  my  aid,  O  God,  O 
Lord,  make  haste  to  help  me.'  (Deus  in  adjutorium  meum 
intende,  Domine  ad  adjuvandum  me  festina.)  Meanwhile 
be  calm,  be  courageous,  do  not  murmur.  Let  us  apply  to 
our  sufferings  as  patriots  what  our  Saviour  said  of  our  eter- 
nal salvation,  'He  that  shall  persevere  to  the  end  shall  be 
saved.'  (Qui  perseveraverit  usque  in  finem  hie  salvus 
erit.)" 

On  October  9th  the  printers  of  the  pastoral  letter — 
MM.  Smeesters,  father  and  son — were  arrested.  In  the 
course  of  a  domiciliary  visit  made  at  their  printing  works, 
250  copies  of  the  letter  were  seized  by  the  police. 

On  Sunday,  October  5th,  the  very  day  on  which  the 
first  part  of  the  pastoral  was  read  from  the  pulpit,  the 
Kreischef  of  Malines  asked  the  Cardinal  if  he  could  re- 
ceive the  chief  of  the  diplomatic  department,  Baron  von  der 
Lancken,  at  7  p.  m.    To  this  the  Cardinal  agreed. 

At  the  appointed  hour  the  Baron  presented  himself  at 
the  Archbishop's  house  and  was  conducted  to  his  Emi- 
nence. 

"I  am  in  an  extremely  difficult  position,"  said  he.  "I 
had  hoped  that  your  Eminence  would  do  nothing  to  provoke 
fresh  dispute,  and  had,  in  fact,  communicated  my  impres- 
sion to  the  Governor  General.  And  now  he  is  intensely 
annoyed.  'You  see,'  said  he  to  me,  'the  Cardinal  has 
again  published  a  document,  and  in  spite  of  my  orders  ig- 
nored the  censorship  and  takes  advantage  of  the  occasion 
to  meddle  in  politics.'  " 

"I  never  promised  you,"  answered  the  Cardinal,  "to  sub- 
mit to  the  censorship.  You  yourself  were  one  day  good 
enough  to  grant  that  it  would  be  very  difficult  for  me  to  do 
so  and  suggested  many  petty  expedients  for  evading  it,  none 
of  which  satisfied  me.   The  question  therefore  remained  un- 


302    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


solved,  and  I  informed  you  that  I  was  preparing  a  letter 
for  publication.  You  will  recall  our  conversation  and  ac- 
knowledge that  none  of  your  suggested  expedients  appeared 
to  me  desirable.  You  particularly  requested  me  to  send  you 
personally  the  first  copy,  not  in  manuscript  but  in  proof.  I 
replied,  'I  am  quite  willing  to  send  you  a  copy  at  the  same 
time  that  I  send  the  letter  to  my  clergy,  but  on  no  account 
in  advance.  That  would  be  tantamount  to  a  tacit  acknowl- 
edgment that  I  submit  my  letter  to  your  good  pleasure. 
That  I  cannot  do.'  " 

"But  after  all,"  replied  the  Baron,  "could  you  not  con- 
trive to  let  a  proof  copy  be  left  behind  on  the  table  in  one  or 
other  of  the  houses  I  am  accustomed  to  visit  in  Brussels?" 

"No,  I  do  not  particularly  care  for  these  paltry  expedi- 
ents which  do  not  solve  the  problem.  You  would  always 
have  the  right  to  say  that  I  had  in  a  covert  manner  recog- 
nized your  right  to  censor  a  document  essential  to  the  exer- 
cise of  my  ministry.  That  is  a  matter  of  principle  on  which 
I  cannot  yield." 

"Yet  we  must  find  some  means  of  coming  to  an  under- 
standing." 

"For  myself  I  see  but  one,"  answered  the  Cardinal, 
"that  you  affect  not  to  notice  what  is  going  on  and  leave 
me  with  a  free  hand.  I  had  understood,  or,  if  you  like  that 
better,  conjectured  that  such  was  your  intention.  Accord-, 
ingly  I  was  not  a  little  surprised  to  learn  that  the  works  of 
my  printer  had  been  raided  by  the  German  police." 

"It  was  not  with  the  intention  of  seizing  your  letter; 
Smeesters  was  implicated  in  another  affair." 

"As  I  was  unaware  of  that,  I  was  greatly  surprised.  I 
had  intended  to  send  you  a  copy  of  my  letter  as  soon  as 
it  was  in  the  hands  of  the  various  deans  in  Brussels,  and  I 
considered  I  had  a  right  to  expect  from  you  its  circulation 
without  let  or  hindrance,  for,  after  all,  there  is  absolutely 
nothing  in  the  letter  to  which  you  could  take  exception." 

"Nothing  to  offend  me,  perhaps,  but  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral, a  soldier  among  soldiers,  who,  being  obliged  to  con- 
sider the  effect  your  writings  may  produce  in  Germany, 
thinks  otherwise.    He  knows  I  have  come  to  Malines;  in 


"THE  VOICE  OF  GOD 


fact,  we  had  a  twenty  minutes'  conversation  about  this  very 
letter  and  I  can  assure  you  he  is  greatly  displeased." 

"But  what  has  he  to  complain  of?" 

"First  of  all,  he  takes  exception  to  the  phrase  in  which 
you  affirm  that  'nobody  today  calls  the  independence  of  Bel- 
gium into  question.'  " 

"But  there  is  nothing  mysterious  in  this  assertion.  Only 
this  morning  I  read  in  the  'Nieuwe  Rotterdamsche  Courant' 
a  declaration  made  by  the  Socialist  deputy  Haase  to  Chan- 
cellor von  Bethmann-Hollweg.  'You  speak  of  peace  in 
vague  terms  which  fall  upon  deaf  ears.  Begin  by  declaring 
that  you  agree  to  the  autonomy  of  small  states,  such  as  Bel- 
gium and  Serbia,  and  then  your  words  will  be  listened  to.' 
I  do  not  take  my  stand  on  your  feelings  nor  on  those  of  the 
German  empire  when  asserting  my  belief  in  the  independ- 
ence of  my  country.  My  words  were  based  principally  on 
the  solemn  undertaking  repeated  over  and  over  again  by  our 
allies  that  they  will  not  consent  to  discuss  peace  until  Bel- 
gium has  been  liberated.  The  Holy  Father,  whose  name  I 
mention  with  reluctance,  said  the  same  thing  to  me  in  Rome 
last  January." 

"Again,"  replied  the  Baron,  "you  say  at  the  end  of  your 
letter  :  'Let  us  hasten  the  hour  of  our  deliverance.'  It  is 
this  last  phrase  especially  that  irritated  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral." 

"Well,  then,  Baron,  the  Governor  General  does  not  un- 
derstand French.  It  lies  with  you,  who  understand  and 
speak  it,  to  explain  fully  to  him  the  meaning  this  fragment 
of  a  phrase  has  when  read  in  connection  with  its  context. 
You  have  only  to  read  the  whole  paragraph  to  perceive 
its  real  sense." 

"Oh,  I  have  perused  the  letter  four  times." 

"Then  read  the  paragraph  again.  Do  you  not  see  that 
these  words  were  inserted  therein  to  introduce  the  liturgical 
invocation,  'O  Lord,  make  haste  to  help  us'  ?  They  merely 
imply  that  by  means  of  prayer  and  penance  we  are  to 
merit  the  help  and  deliverance  of  Almighty  God.  Are  my 
words  susceptible  of  any  other  interpretation?" 

"When  I  had  read  it  over  again  I  saw  that  the  phrase 


304   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


could  be  understood  in  the  sense  your  Eminence  attaches  to 
it,  but  the  Governor  General  placed  quite  a  different  con- 
struction upon  it." 
"For  example?" 

"He  took  it  to  mean,  'Let  us  hasten  to  expel  the  Ger- 
mans.' " 

"Well,"  replied  the  Cardinal,  "what  is  one  to  do?  It 
is  not  my  fault  if  he  is  not  sensitive  to  the  delicate  shades 
of  meaning  in  our  language.   And  what  else  was  there?" 

"Several  allusions  to  current  politics." 

"As  for  instance?" 

"First  of  all  a  reference  to  Poland,  which  in  the  eyes 
of  the  Governor  General  is  political,  though,  personally, 
I  must  confess  that  this  particular  passage  appeared  to  me 
quite  inoffensive." 

"Obviously  if  Poland  is  to  recover  her  independence  just 
as  many  concessions  must  be  made  by  Russia  as  by  Ger- 
many. Then  I  say  distinctly  that  the  country  has  been  laid 
waste  by  the  advance  or  retirement  of  the  armies." 

"What  about  the  attack  you  made  on  the  Turks?" 

"Pardon  me,"  replied  the  Cardinal,  "I  did  not  attack 
the  Turks,  but  I  take  up  the  cudgels  for  the  Armenians.  I 
have  great  compassion  for  their  suffering,  and  as  I  am  suf- 
fering with  my  fellow  countrymen,  I  can  sympathize  with 
others  in  their  trials.    Is  it  not  natural?" 

"But  in  your  letter,  your  Eminence  inveighs  against  the 
allies  of  Germany,  and  it  is  this  which  displeases  the  Gov- 
ernor General.  Moreover,  in  a  subsequent  passage  your 
Eminence  asks  prayers  for  your  allies.  Doubtless  you  refer 
to  the  British?" 

"The  British,  the  French  and  all  those  who  defend  the 
same  cause  as  ourselves.  Can  you  imagine  that  there  is  a 
single  Belgian  Catholic  who  does  not  pray  for  them?  But 
we  pray  also,  I  say,  for  our  enemies.  Do  you  wish  that  I 
should  say  for:  'Our  armies  on  the  western  front*?" 

"Yes,  that  would  do  excellently." 

"Frankly,  that  borders  on  sophistry.  If  I  did  not  fear 
to  wound  you,  Baron,  I  should  say  that  you  wish  to  pick  a 
quarrel  with  me  (une  querelle  d'Allemand). 


"THE  VOICE  OF  GOD"  305 


"But,  come,  tell  me  what  your  intention  was  in  paying 
me  this  visit." 

"Oh,  above  all,  to  explain  to  your  Eminence  the  dif- 
ficult position  I  am  in." 

"Did  you  come  on  behalf  of  the  Governor  General  with 
some  order  in  your  pocket  or  merely  to  ask  me  for  an 
explanation?" 

"I  have  come  with  no  order  whatever.  I  fear  compli- 
cations and  that  Smeesters  will  be  punished  for  printing  your 
pastoral." 

"But  that  disgusts  me!  If  my  letter  is  criminal,  I  am 
the  first  person  who  should  be  punished.  And  if  you  do 
not  punish  me,  it  is  unreasonable  to  punish  an  inferior, 
who  has  merely  executed  my  orders.  But  since  you  leave 
me  free  to  say  what  I  think,  I  am  quite  willing  to  tell  you 
that  I  do  not  consider  the  passage,  which  you  condemn,  of 
sufficient  importance  to  provoke  a  public  dispute  and  it 
would  be  painful  to  me  to  expose  my  printer  to  additional 
punishment.  The  game  is  not  worth  the  candle.  Let  me 
consider  the  changes  I  can  make.  In  a  word,  it  is  enough 
to  cut  out  the  words:  'the  independence  of  Belgium  is  not 
doubted  by  any  one'  and  'let  us  hasten  our  deliverance'  and 
substitute  for:  'the  armies  of  our  allies'  'our  armies.'  I 
could  make  these  alterations  and  it  would  cost  me  nothing, 
but  then  you  would  claim  victory  over  me  in  your  press." 

"Oh,  no,  certainly  not." 

"The  country  clergy  could  not  be  warned  in  time,  but  I 
could  inform  the  deans  in  the  bigger  towns,  before  the 
reading  of  the  second  part  of  the  letter."  * 

This  question  being  settled,  the  Baron  asked  the  Car- 
dinal to  apply  to  him  whenever  he  had  any  cause  for  com- 
plaint. "Is  it  not  better,"  he  said,  "to  avoid  disagree- 
ments?" 

"Doubtless,"  replied  the  Cardinal.    "I  do  not  want  to 

*  The  Cardinal  requested  Mgr.  Evrard,  dean  of  St.  Gudule,  to  give  no- 
tice of  these  changes  before  the  reading  of  the  second  part  of  the  letter, 
ordered  for  the  following  Sunday,  to  the  deans  of  Brussels  and  district, 
including  Laeken  and  Uccle,  as  well  as  the  deans  of  Wavre,  Nivelles, 
Braine-l'Alleux,  Tubize,  Hale  and  Vilvorde.  He  also  advised  the  dean  of 
Antwerp  of  the  alterations  and  asked  him  to  communicate  them  to  the 
neighboring  clergy. 


3o6   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


quarrel  any  more  than  you,  for  the  mere  pleasure  of  it,  but 
I  believe  that  in  spite  of  my  good-will  and  yours  a  dispute 
is  unavoidable." 

"Is  your  Eminence  persuaded  of  that?" 

"Yes.  Because  the  military  authorities  have  a  natural 
tendency  to  abuse  their  power  against  which  my  conscience 
must  protest.  You  place  a  political  construction  on  all  our 
protests  and  so  create  discord." 

"But  is  it  not  better,  in  the  interest  of  your  country,  to 
avoid  protests  which  lead  to  no  result?" 

"That  is  absolutely  the  fundamental  question.  You 
imagine  that  in  our  ministry  we  have  no  other  ambition  than 
to  spare  ourselves  momentary  worry  and  anxiety,  or  to 
win  some  immediate  success.  A  thousand  times  no  !  Utili- 
tarianism, even  socially,  is  not  our  ideal.  If  St.  Paul  had 
spoken  like  you,  we  should  never  have  had  St.  Paul.  We 
should  possess  neither  his  epistles  nor  his  example.  If  the 
theory,  What  is  the  good  of  that,'  i.  e.,  what  practical  ad- 
vantage do  you  hope  to  gain  by  that — if  this  theory,  I  say, 
had  always  prevailed  we  should  not  have  had  the  Catholic 
Church.  It  required  three  centuries  of  martyrs  to  consoli- 
date and  propagate  the  idea  that  there  is  something  higher 
than  individual  and  national  interests." 

"Oh,  the  martyrs  !  that  is  another  matter." 

"By  no  means,  fundamentally  it  is  the  same  thing.  A 
martyr  is  not  one  who  gives  his  life  just  for  the  pleasure  of 
sacrifice;  he  is  one  who  upholds  an  incontrovertible  truth 
and  makes  himself  its  bond  slave,  even  to  offering  his  lib- 
erty and  his  life  in  its  defense.  It  would  have  been  easy 
for  the  martyrs  to  burn  perchance  secretly  a  few  grains  of 
incense  before  an  idol.  But  this  act,  materially  insignificant, 
yet  for  the  moment  very  profitable  to  the  doer,  would  have 
been  an  avowal  that  he  had  no  absolute  belief  in  the  truth 
which  he  professed  and  at  once  the  eternal  would  have  been 
reduced  to  the  level  of  the  transitory.  When  the  Church 
was  founded,  the  truth  preached  was  religious  truth:  the 
Gospel  of  Christ.  Truth,  today,  is  right  and  the  superiority 
of  its  kingdom  over  passing  interests.  In  either  case,  there 
is  antagonism  between  utilitarianism   and   the  necessary 


THE  VOICE  OF  GOD" 


triumph  of  absolute  right — of  truth.  Thus  I  have  nothing 
but  contempt  for  those  sophisms  to  which  you  in  your  recent 
correspondence,  and  with  you  certain  theologians  in  their 
utterances,  have  had  recourse,  sheltering  themselves  behind 
the  'notwehr'  for  the  purpose  of  justifying  the  invasion  of 
our  country.  It  is  no  use  to  argue;  it  is  no  use  to  twist 
and  turn,  Germany  has  violated  an  oath  and  it  would  be 
simpler  to  confess  and  regret  it  than  to  strive  by  might  and 
main  to  hide  the  truth." 

With  these  words  the  interview  ended.  Baron  von  der 
Lancken  took  his  leave,  thanking  the  Cardinal  for  the 
changes  he  had  agreed  to  make  in  the  text  of  his  pastoral. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 


THE  DEPORTATION  OF  THE  UNEMPLO  f ED 

Of  all  the  crimes  committed  by  Germany  in  the  occupied 
part  of  Belgium  there  is  perhaps  none  more  abominable 
than  the  deportation  of  the  unemployed.  In  the  light  of  the 
twentieth  century  the  German  Government,  scorning  all 
the  laws  of  civilization,  introduces  again  the  slavery  of  days 
gone  by.  This  crime  against  human  liberty,  long  and  cal- 
lously premeditated  and  perpetrated  with  untold  cynicism 
and  brutality,  aroused  the  conscience  of  the  whole  world 
and  drew  down  upon  its  authors  well-deserved  abhorrence. 
The  Cardinal,  as  soon  as  he  learned  of  the  iniquitous 
steps  taken  by  the  Governor  General  in  regard  to  the  unem- 
ployed, hastened  to  address  to  Baron  von  Bissing  an  ener- 
getic protest. 

Archbishop*  s  House,  M  alines, 

October  igthy  191 6. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — The  day  following  the  capitulation  of  Antwerp 
the  distracted  population  had  serious  misgivings  regarding 
the  lot  of  Belgians  of  military  age  and  of  those  who  would 
reach  that  age  before  the  end  of  the  occupation.  The 
fathers  and  mothers  of  families,  by  their  entreaties,  induced 
me  to  put  the  question  to  the  Governor  of  Antwerp,  Baron 
von  Huene,  who  had  the  kindness  to  reassure  me  and  au- 
thorize me  to  reassure  the  anxious  parents  on  this  point. 
Nevertheless  the  report  had  spread  through  Antwerp  that 
at  Liege,  at  Namur  and  at  Charleroi  young  men  had  been 
seized  and  forcibly  carried  off  into  Germany.  I  thereupon 
requested  the  Governor  von  Huene  to  be  so  good  as  to  con- 

308 


DEPORTATION  OF  UNEMPLOYED  309 


firm  in  black  and  white  the  guarantee  he  had  given  me  by 
word  of  mouth,  that  no  action  of  the  kind  would  be  taken 
at  Antwerp.  Without  delay  he  replied  that  the  rumors 
relative  to  deportations  were  without  foundation,  and  he 
immediately  sent  me  in  writing,  among  others,  the  following 
declaration:  "Young  men  need  have  no  fear  of  being  car- 
ried off  into  Germany,  either  for  enrollment  in  the  army 
or  to  be  there  employed  at  compulsory  work." 

This  declaration,  drawn  up  in  writing  and  duly  signed, 
was  publicly  communicated  to  the  clergy  and  the  faithful  of 
the  province  of  Antwerp,  as  your  Excellency  may  convince 
yourself,  by  the  document  herewith  inclosed,  dated  October 
1 6th,  1 9 14,  and  which  was  read  in  all  the  churches. 

Immediately  on  the  arrival  at  Brussels  of  your  predeces- 
sor, the  late  Baron  von  der  Goltz,  I  had  the  honor  of  an 
interview  with'  him,  and  I  requested  him  to  be  so  good  as 
to  ratify  in  writing  for  the  country  at  large,  and  without 
any  time  limit,  the  guarantee  which  General  von  Huene  had 
given  me  for  the  province  of  Antwerp. 

The  Governor  General  retained  my  petition  in  his  own 
hands  in  order  to  examine  it  at  his  leisure.  The  following 
day  he  was  kind  enough  to  come  in  person  to  Malines  and 
to  bring  me  his  approval,  and  he  confirmed  in  the  presence 
of  two  aides-de-camp  and  my  private  secretary  the  promise 
that  the  Belgian  citizens'  liberties  would  be  respected. 

To  doubt  such  a  pledge  would  be  to  wrong  the  persons 
who  had  signed  it,  and  I  proceeded  to  dissipate,  by  every 
means  of  persuasion  in  my  power,  the  alarm  still  prevailing 
among  the  families  concerned. 

Now,  heaven  save  the  mark,  your  government  snatches 
from  their  homes  workmen,  who,  without  fault  of  their  own, 
are  out  of  employment;  it  forcibly  separates  them  from  their 
wives  and  children  and  deports  them  into  the  enemy's  coun- 
try. A  host  of  workmen  has  already  suffered  this  unhappy 
fate  ;  more  still  are  threatened  with  the  same  violent  treat- 
ment. 

On  behalf  of  the  liberty  of  the  home  and  the  liberty  of 
employment  of  Belgian  citizens,  in  the  name  of  the  inviola- 
bility of  families,  on  behalf  of  the  moral  and  religious  inter- 


3io    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


ests  gravely  compromised  by  this  system  of  deportation,  in 
virtue  of  the  pledge  given  by  the  Governor  of  the  province 
of  Antwerp  and  by  the  Governor  General,  the  immediate 
representative  of  the  highest  authority  of  the  German  em- 
pire, I  respectfully  beg  your  Excellency  to  consent  to  cancel 
the  regulations  for  compulsory  labor  and  deportation  al- 
ready communicated  to  the  Belgian  workmen  and  to  be  good 
enough  to  restore  to  their  homes  those  already  deported. 

Your  Excellency  will  understand  how  heavy  a  weight  of 
responsibility  I  shall  be  compelled  to  bear  in  the  eyes  of 
families  if  the  confidence  established  through  my  interven- 
tion and  my  request  were  to  be  rudely  shaken. 

I  cling  to  the  belief  that  such  will  not  be  the  case. 

Receive,  sir,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  M  alines. 

At  the  same  time  that  he  protested  to  the  Governor 
General  the  Cardinal  wrote  to  Baron  von  der  Lancken, 
chief  of  the  political  department,  to  entreat  him  to  use  all 
his  influence  to  prevent  the  execution  of  the  threatened 
measures. 

Archbishop9  s  House }  M  alines, 

October  iqth,  1916. 
To  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Chief  of  the  Political  Depart- 
ment, Brussels. 

Dear  Sir — I  have  had  the  honor  of  sending  to  his 
Excellency  Baron  yon  Bissing  a  letter  of  which  I  herein 
inclose  a  copy. 

The  Governor  General  has  so  often  expressed,  even  pub- 
licly, his  wish  to  devote  a  large  share  of  his  solicitude  to 
the  interests  of  the  occupied  parts  of  the  country,  and  you 
yourself  have  so  often  proclaimed,  especially  of  late,  the 
desire  of  the  German  authorities  not  to  perpetuate,  under 
the  regime  of  occupation,  the  state  of  war  of  the  early  days, 
that  I  cannot  believe  the  steps  with  which  your  government 
threatens  the  workmen,  who,  without  any  fault  of  their 
own,  have  been  reduced  to  a  state  of  unemployment,  will  be 
enforced. 


DEPORTATION  OF  UNEMPLOYED  311 


I  trust  that  you  will  exert  all  your  influence  with  the 
higher  authorities  to  hinder  the  commission  of  such  a 
crime. 

Do  not  allege  the  necessity  of  protecting  public  order  or 
of  lessening  the  burdens  of  public  charity.  Spare  us  this  bit- 
ter irony.  You  know  quite  well  that  public  order  is  not 
threatened  and  that  every  civil  and  moral  force  would 
spontaneously  lend  its  aid  were  it  really  menaced.  The  un- 
employed are  not  a  burden  on  any  official  charitable  funds; 
it  is  not  from  your  finances  that  they  receive  assistance. 

Kindly  read  my  letter  to  the  Governor  General  and 
consider  if  it  is  not  as  much  to  Germany's  interest  as  it  is 
ours  to  respect  agreements  entered  into  by  two  high  per- 
sonalities of  your  empire. 

I  am  confident  that  my  representations  to  the  Governor 
General  and  yourself  will  be  neither  misunderstood  nor  dis- 
regarded, and  I  beg  you  to  accept,  Baron,  the  assurance  of 
my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  Governor  General  answered  the  Cardinal's  protest 
with  a  refusal,  while  trying  to  justify  the  steps  taken  by  the 
German  Government. 

Government  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 

October  26th,  19 16. 
To   His   Eminence    Cardinal    Mercier,   Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

In  your  esteemed  letter  of  the  19th  inst.  your  Eminence 
makes  the  urgent  request  that  the  unemployed  Belgian  work- 
men should  no  longer  be  deported  to  Germany.  While 
appreciating  your  Eminence's  point  of  view,  I  feel  at  the 
same  time  compelled  to  reply  that  you  have  not  examined 
in  all  its  aspects  the  difficult  problem  of  Belgian  unemploy- 
ment. First  of  all,  your  Eminence  does  not  consider  in  all 
their  bearings  the  extraordinary  circumstances  arising  from 
the  war,  which  has  now  lasted  more  than  two  years.  The 
steps  now  in  progress,  which  your  Eminence  would  wish 


312   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


to  see  suspended,  are  nothing  but  the  necessary  consequences 
of  the  war,  as  I  hope  now  to  prove. 

Your  Eminence  recalls  first  the  declarations  made  in 
October,  19 14,  by  my  predecessor  and  by  the  Governor  of 
the  fortress  of  Antwerp.  These  declarations  referred  to 
measures  directly  bearing  on  the  operations  of  war,  and 
they  regarded  chiefly  men  of  military  age,  who,  according 
to  the  ordinary  usage  of  war,  could  have  been  deported 
as  civil  prisoners  of  war.  England  and  France  have  seized, 
on  neutral  ships,  all  Germans  between  the  ages  of  seventeen 
and  fifty,  and  have  interned  them  in  concentration  camps. 
Germany  has  taken  no  such  steps  in  Belgium,  and  the  assur- 
ances given  to  your  Eminence,  with  a  view  to  calming  the 
civil  population,  have  been  uniformly  respected.  At  any 
rate,  that  was  a  proof  of  the  benevolent  disposition  with 
which  the  German  Governor  General  had  taken  in  hand 
the  administration  of  the  occupied  territory.  Later  on,  the 
departure  in  crowds  of  young  men  to  join  the  Belgian  army 
would  have  fully  justified  measures  similar  to  those  taken  by 
England  and  France.  And  yet  nothing  was  done.  The  re- 
moval of  Belgian  laborers  to  the  German  factories,  which 
is  only  beginning  after  two  years  of  war,  has  no  connection 
in  principle  with  the  deportation  and  internment  of  men  of 
military  age.  This  step  does  not  depend  upon  the  conduct 
of  the  war  as  such,  but  it  is  based  on  economic  and  social 
grounds. 

As  a  result  of  the  economical  blockade  which  England 
has  established  against  Germany,  Belgium  has  been  forced 
to  endure  more  and  more  the  privations  which  our  country- 
has  to  suffer.  Belgium's  economic  life,  which  rests  chiefly 
on  the  importation  of  raw  materials  and  the  export  of 
manufactured  goods,  has  been  crushed  by  the  blockade,  de- 
prived as  she  is  of  the  very  basis  of  her  commercial  exist- 
ence. The  inevitable  result  of  this  situation  has  been  unem- 
ployment, which  has  extended  to  various  classes  of  the 
population.  The  system  of  relief  adopted  could  be  rea- 
sonably applied  to  those  out  of  work  as  long  as  it  was 
thought  that  the  war  would  end  quickly,  but  the  long  dura- 
tion of  the  hostilities  has  brought  about  an  abuse  of  this 


DEPORTATION  OF  UNEMPLOYED  313 


relief  and  has  created  unendurable  social  conditions.  Far- 
seeing  Belgians  came  to  me  in  the  spring  of  19 15  and  drew 
my  attention  to  this  point.  They  pointed  out  that  thts  relief, 
no  matter  what  might  be  the  source  of  the  funds  placed  at 
the  disposal  of  the  committees,  would  finally  have  to  be 
borne  by  the  Belgian  budgets,  without  taking  into  account 
that  these  contributions  would  inevitably  create  in  the  work- 
ingman  a  habit  of  idleness.  The  result  is  that  the  work- 
men see  their  physical  and  moral  capacity  lessened  and 
artisans  of  some  ability  have  lost  their  technical  skill  and 
will  be  useless  for  Belgian  industry  when  peace  has  been 
restored.  On  this  account,  and  in  order  to  do  away  with 
this  prevalent  apathy  for  work,  I  published  with  the  ap- 
probation of  the  competent  Belgian  ministry  my  decrees  of 
August,  19 1 5,  which  were  completed  by  my  order  of  May 
15th,  19 1 6.  These  decrees  do  not  provide  for  forced  labor, 
save  in  the  case  where  an  unemployed  workman  becomes  a 
burden  to  the  public  relief  funds  by  refusing  unreasonably 
to  do  work  at  his  trade  when  a  reasonable  wage  is  of- 
fered. We  have  recognized  expressly  as  a  lawful  reason 
for  refusal  any  motive  based  on  international  law.  Thus 
no  workman  can  be  compelled  to  take  part  in  war  work. 
These  orders  rest,  as  your  Eminence  will  acknowledge,  on 
reasons  fully  justified  in  law  which  subordinate  the  freedom 
of  the  individual  to  the  interest  of  the  public.  Now  that 
the  disadvantages  resulting  from  the  situation  of  19 15  have 
developed  to  the  point  of  becoming  a  veritable  public  calam- 
ity it  is  imperative  to  put  these  orders  into  execution. 

Your  Eminence  appeals  in  your  esteemed  letter  to*  the 
exalted  ideal  of  family  life.  I  can  assure  you  that  I  recog- 
nize this  ideal  just  as  fully  as  you  do  yourself,  but  I  believe 
that  in  consequence  of  the  duration  of  the  war  with  its  in- 
evitable effects,  conditions  of  life  growing  daily  worse,  this 
idea  runs  a  great  risk  of  disappearing  altogether  from  the 
life  of  the  working  classes,  for  idleness  is  the  most  dan- 
gerous enemy  of  family  life.  The  workman  who  toils  in 
foreign  lands  to  support  his  wife  and  family,  as  was  the 
case  in  peace  time  for  many  Belgians  who  quitted  their  own 
land  to  find  work  abroad,  contributes  assuredly  more  to  the 


3H  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


happiness  of  his  home  than  the  idler  who  remains  in  Bel- 
gium. Besides,  workmen  who  get  employment  in  Germany 
may  remain  in  close  contact  with  their  families  and  are 
given  at  regular  intervals  permission  to  visit  their  homes. 
They  can  even  take  their  families  with  them  to  Germany, 
where  they  receive  every  spiritual  care  in  their  own  tongue. 

A  large  number  of  Belgian  people  has,  with  good  sense, 
thoroughly  grasped  the  situation.  Tens  of  thousands  of 
Belgian  workmen  have  quite  voluntarily  betaken  themselves 
to  Germany,  where,  placed  on  the  same  footing  as  the  Ger- 
man workmen,  they  earn  much  higher  wages  than  they 
have  ever  known  in  Belgium,  and  instead  of  perishing  of 
want,  like  their  comrades  at  home,  they  add  to  their  own 
comfort  and  that  of  their  families.  Many  others  do  not 
venture  to  follow  their  example,  being  held  back  by  a  con- 
spiracy of  evil  influences.  Unless  they  free  themselves  be- 
times from  these  influences,  they  will,  in  virtue  of  my  order, 
be  compelled  to  work.  The  responsibility  for  the  severe 
measures,  which  the  adoption  of  constraint  necessarily  en- 
tails, falls  upon  those  who  are  dissuading  the  workers  from 
seeking  employment.  Finally,  I  entreat  your  Eminence,  in 
order  to  realize  the  situation  in  all  its  complexity,  to*  bear 
in  mind  the  following  important  considerations  : 

The  English  blockade  has  forced  the  occupied  territories 
into  a  close  economic  union  with  Germany.  Germany  is 
today  the  only  country  with  which  Belgium  maintains  inter- 
course. 

Germany  has  not  taken  any  steps  to  hinder  payments 
being  made  in  Belgium — a  measure  usually  adopted  in  the 
case  of  enemy  countries — and  German  money  continues  to 
pour  into  Belgium.  This  stream  of  money  will  be  still 
more  swollen  by  the  workmen's  salaries  when  they  are 
employed  in  Germany.  In  short,  the  sums  of  money  com- 
ing into  Belgium  as  a  result  of  the  occupation  exceed  the 
war  contributions,  which — the  fact  is  notorious — are  entirely 
spent  in  the  country.  This  community  of  interests,  result- 
ing from  circumstances,  necessarily  requires  for  the  two 
countries  an  equality  of  economic  factors.  As  on  the  one 
hand  there  are  in  Belgium  hundreds  of  thousands  of  work- 


DEPORTATION  OF  UNEMPLOYED  315 


ers  without  employment,  and  on  the  other  in  Germany 
work  is  abundant,  the  employment  in  Germany  of  Belgians 
who  are  out  of  work  becomes  a  social  and  economic  duty, 
imposed  by  the  solidarity  of  interests  in  which  the  two 
countries  are  knit.  Any  protests  which  may  be  raised 
against  this  state  of  things  ought  to  be  addressed  to  Eng- 
land, which,  by  the  blockade  she  has  imposed  on  Germany, 
has  brought  about  a  constrained  situation. 

Your  Eminence,  keeping  in  mind  all  that  I  have  said, 
will  admit  that  the  question  of  deportations  forms  a  problem 
which  should  be  studied  from  many  standpoints.  I  should 
be  content  if  your  Eminence,  as  a  result  of  my  summary, 
would  weigh  this  question,  as  is  needful,  from  the  social 
and  economic  point  of  view. 

I  present  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Lieutenant  General. 

The  rigorous  measures,  far  from  being  relaxed  after 
the  protestations  which  arose  on  all  sides,  were  only  ex- 
tended further.  The  German  authorities,  failing  to  obtain 
from  the  parochial  authorities  the  lists  which  they  had  called 
for  of  unemployed,  took  the  opportunity  of  deporting  all 
healthy  men.  In  face  of  these  more  and  more  outrageous 
proceedings,  the  Cardinal,  in  the  name  of  the  Belgian 
bishops,  appealed  to  the  public  opinion  of  the  whole  world 
and  drew  up  the  following  terrible  charge  against  the 
German  Government: 

CRY  OF  ALARM  RAISED  BY  BELGIAN  BISHOPS  AND  ADDRESSED 
BY  THEM  TO  THE  BELGIAN  PUBLIC 

M  alines,  Nov.  7  th,  19 16. 

The  military  authorities  are  daily  deporting  into  Ger- 
many from  Belgium  thousands  of  inoffensive  citizens  to 
subject  them  there  to  compulsory  labor. 

As  far  back  as  October  19th  we  sent  to  the  Governor 


3i6   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


General  a  protest,  a  copy  of  which  was  forwarded  to  the 
Holy  See,  to  Spain,  to  the  United  States,  to  Holland,  to 
Brussels,  but  the  Governor  General  answered  that  he  was 
debarred  from  receiving  it.  At  the  date  of  our  protest  the 
government  regulations  threatened  only  the  unemployed. 
Today  all  able-bodied  men  are  taken  indiscriminately, 
penned  in  military  wagons  and  carted  off,  no  one  knows 
where,  like  a  band  of  slaves. 

The  enemy  proceeds  in  his  work  by  districts.  Vague 
reports  have  reached  us  that  men  had  been  arrested  in 
the  war  zone,  at  Tournay,  Ghent,  Alost;  but  we  know  not 
;n  what  circumstances.  Between  October  24th  and  Novem- 
ber 2d  he  operated  in  the  district  of  Mons,  Quievrain,  Saint- 
Ghislain,  Jemappes,  making  a  clean  sweep  of  eight  hundred 
to  twelve  hundred  men  daily.  Now  he  intends  to  pounce 
upon  the  arrondissement  of  Nivelles. 

Here  is  a  sample  of  a  placard  announcing  the  attempt: 

"By  order  of  the  Kreischef,  all  male  persons  over  seven- 
teen years  of  age  are  bound  to  appear  in  St.  Paul's  Square, 
Nivelles,  on  the  8th  of  November  at  8  o'clock  (Belgian 
time)  and  9  o'clock  (central  time),  furnished  with  their 
identity  papers  and,  in  case  it  may  be  wanted,  with  their 
card  from  the  'Meldeamt.' 

4 'They  must  bring  with  them  only  a  small  hand-bag. 

"Any  one  who  refuses  to  present  himself  will  be  forcibly 
deported  to  Germany  and  will  also  be  liable  to  a  heavy  fine 
and  a  long  term  of  imprisonment. 

"Ecclesiastics,  doctors,  lawyers  and  schoolmasters  are 
exempted. 

"The  burgomasters  will  be  held  responsible  for  the  due 
execution  of  this  order,  which  must  at  once  be  made  known 
to  the  inhabitants. 

"An  interval  of  twenty-four  hours  will  be  allowed  be- 
tween the  posting  of  the  notice  and  the  deportation  itself." 

On  the  plea  of  carrying  out  public  works  in  Belgium  the 
authority  in  occupation  had  endeavored  to  obtain  from  the 
communes  a  list  of  unemployed  workmen.    With  this  order 


DEPORTATION  OF  UNEMPLOYED  317 


the  great  majority  of  the  communes  boldly  refused  to  com- 
ply. 

Three  decrees  of  the  government  gradually  prepared  us 
for  the  blow  that  has  fallen  on  us  today. 

On  August  15th,  19 1 5,  the  first  decree  came  out  impos- 
ing, under  penalty  of  fine  and  imprisonment,  compulsory  la- 
bor on  unemployed  workmen,  declaring,  however,  that  the 
work  contemplated  was  to  be  done  in  Belgium  only  and  that 
breaches  of  the  order  would  be  brought  before  Belgian  law 
courts. 

A  second  decree  of  May  2,  19 16,  reserves  to  the  Ger- 
man authorities  the  right  to  provide  work  for  the  unem- 
ployed and  threatened  with  a  penalty  of  three  years'  im- 
prisonment and  a  fine  of  20,000  marks  any  one  that  carries 
out  work  not  sanctioned  by  the  Governor  General. 

A  decree  dated  May  13th,  19 16,  authorizes  the  gover- 
nors and  military  commandants  and  the  chiefs  of  arrondis- 
sements to  order  idle  workmen  to  be  forcibly  taken  to  the 
place  where  they  have  to  work.  Compulsory  work  had  al- 
readyxbegun,  but  in  Belgium  only. 

Today  it  is  no  longer  a  question  of  compulsory  work  to 
be  carried  out  in  Belgium,  but  in  Germany  also,  for  the 
benefit  of  the  Germans. 

To  impart  an  air  of  sweet  reasonableness  to  these  vio- 
lent measures  the  occupying  power  alleges  in  the  German 
press,  both  of  Germany  and  Belgium,  as  a  pretext  for  these 
measures,  chiefly  two  reasons:  Idle  workmen  constitute  a 
danger  to  public  order,  and  they  are  a  charge  on  the  treas- 
ury. 

The  letter  we  addressed  on  October  16th  to  the  Gov- 
ernor General  and  to  the  chief  of  his  political  cabinet  has 
the  following:  "You  know  full  well  that  public  order  is 
not  menaced,  and  that  were  it  in  danger  every  influence, 
moral  and  civil,  would  spontaneously  be  offered  for  its 
maintenance.  Again,  the  unemployed  are  not  a  burden  on 
the  bounty  of  the  state;  the  assistance  they  receive  comes 
from  no  funds  of  yours." 

In  his  reply  the  Governor  General  no  longer  insists  on 
the  two  previous  allegations,  but  maintains  that  the  sums 


3i8   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


given  to  the  unemployed  from  whatever  source  they  come 
must  eventually  burden  our  finances  and  that  it  is  the  task 
of  a  good  administrator  to  lessen  such  charges,  adding  that 
the  prolongation  of  unemployment  would  impair  our  work- 
men's technical  skill  and  on  the  return  of  peace  they  would 
be  of  no  use  for  any  industry  whatever.  He  does  not  men- 
tion other  means  of  protecting  our  finances,  for  instance,  to 
spare  us  the  forced  contributions  which  at  the  present  mo- 
ment reach  the  sum  of  £40,000,000  and  is  continually  aug- 
mented by  a  monthly  increase  of  40,000,000  francs.  We 
might  be  spared  the  requisitions  in  kind  which  total  several 
milliards  and  are  exhausting  the  country. 

There  were  other  means,  too,  for  maintaining  unim- 
paired our  artisans'  technical  skill.  To  leave  us,  for  in- 
stance, our  machines  and  equipment,  as  well  as  our  raw 
materials  and  manufactured  goods  which  have  left  Bel- 
gium for  Germany,  and  perhaps  quarries  and  limekilns, 
where  the  Germans  themselves  declare  that  they  intend  to 
send  the  unemployed.  Are  not,  after  all,  these  the  best 
schools  for  completing  the  technical  education  of  our  skilled 
artisans  ? 

The  unvarnished  truth  is  that  every  deported  workman 
is  an  additional  soldier  for  the  German  army.  He  will  take 
the  place  of  a  German  workman  who  will  straightway  join 
the  army. 

Thus  the  situation  which  we  denounce  to  the  civilized 
world  comes  to  this:  Four  hundred  thousand  workmen 
find  themselves  against  their  will  unemployed,  chiefly  be- 
cause of  the  regime  put  into  force  by  the  occupying  power. 
Sons,  husbands,  fathers  of  families,  always  mindful  of  pub- 
lic order,  bear  their  unhappy  lot  uncomplainingly.  The 
whole  nation  united  provides  for  their  most  pressing  needs. 
By  dint  of  economy  and  wholesale  privations,  they  manage 
to  escape  extreme  misery  and  await  with  self-respect,  sprung 
from  an  intimacy  which  the  national  mourning  has  forged 
among  them,  the  termination  of  our  common  trials. 

Bands  of  soldiers  force  their  way  into  their  peaceful 
homes,  drag  young  men  from  their  parents,  the  husband 
from  his  wife,  the  father  from  his  children,  guard  every 


DEPORTATION  OF  UNEMPLOYED  319 


door  and  avenue  by  which  wives  and  mothers  are  able  to 
issue  to  bid  a  last  farewell,  form  their  captives  into  troops 
of  forty  and  fifty,  thrust  them  by  force  into  military 
wagons;  the  locomotive  has  steam  up,  and  as  soon  as  the 
train  is  filled  a  superior  officer  gives  the  signal  for  depar- 
ture. Behold  another  thousand  Belgians  reduced  to  slavery 
and  without  trial  or  sentence  condemned  to  the  severest 
punishment  of  the  penal  code,  only  second  to  the  penalty 
of  death,  namely,  deportation.  They  know  not  where  they 
are  going  nor  for  how  long;  all  they  know  is  that  their 
work  is  to  benefit  the  enemy.  From  several,  some  by  cajol- 
ery and  others  by  threats,  they  extort  an  undertaking  to 
work,  which  they  dare  to  call  voluntary. 

There  is  no  doubt  they  enroll  the  unemployed;  but,  on 
the  other  hand,  they  recruit  in  great  numbers — in  the  case 
of  the  arrondissement  of  Mons,  quite  a  fourth — men  who 
have  never  been  unemployed  and  belong  to  trades  of  very 
different  categories — butchers,  bakers,  master  tailors,  brew- 
ers, electricians,  farmers  ;  they  take  even  young  men,  college 
and  university  students,  or  those  attending  the  higher 
schools. 

Yet  two  high  authorities  of  the  German  empire  had  ex- 
pressly guaranteed  to  us  the  liberty  of  our  fellow  coun- 
trymen. 

On  the  day  following  the  capitulation  of  Antwerp  the 
distracted  population  was  filled  with  alarm  regarding  the  lot 
of  the  Belgians  of  military  age  or  of  those  who  would  reach 
that  age  before  the  end  of  the  occupation.  Baron  von 
Huene,  military  governor  of  Antwerp,  authorized  me  to  re- 
assure in  his  name  the  distressed  parents.  Nevertheless, 
as  a  report  was  circulated  at  Antwerp  that  at  Liège,  at 
Namur,  at  Charleroi,  young  men  had  been  taken  and  forci- 
bly carried  off  to  Germany,  I  begged  the  Governor  to  be  so 
good  as  to  confirm  in  writing  the  verbal  pledges  he  had 
given  me.  He  replied  that  the  rumors  relative  to  the  depor- 
tation were  void  of  foundation  and  he  gave  me,  without 
hesitation,  this  declaration  in  writing,  which  was  read  on 
Sunday,  October  13th,  1914,  in  all  the  parish  churches  of 
the  province  of  Antwerp:   "Young  men  need  have  no  fear 


320  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


of  being  taken  off  to  Germany  either  to  be  enrolled  in  the 
army,  or  to  be  there  employed  in  compulsory  labor." 

Immediately  on  the  arrival  of  Baron  von  der  Goltz  as 
Governor  General  at  Brussels,  I  went  to  request  him  to  be 
so  good  as  to  ratify  for  the  country  at  large  without  limit 
of  time  the  pledges  given  by  Governor  von  Huene  for  the 
province  of  Antwerp.  The  Governor  General  retained  my 
petition  in  his  hands  to  examine  it  at  his  leisure.  The  fol- 
lowing day  he  was  kind  enough  to  bring  to  Malines  in  per- 
son his  approval  and  renewed  in  the  presence  of  two  aides- 
de-camp  and  my  private  secretary  the  promise  that  Belgian 
citizens'  liberty  would  be  respected. 

In  my  letter  of  October  1st  last  to  Baron  von  Bissing, 
after  recalling  the  understanding  come  to  by  his  predeces- 
sor, I  concluded  as  follows  :  "Your  Excellency  will  under- 
stand how  painful  the  burden  of  my  responsibility  will  be- 
come in  the  eyes  of  Belgian  families  if  the  confidence  re- 
posed in  you  by  my  intervention  and  at  my  instance  should 
be  rudely  shaken." 

The  Governor  General  answered:  "The  employment 
of  Belgians,  out  of  work,  in  Germany,  which  has  begun 
only  after  two  years  of  warfare,  differs  essentially  from 
the  internment  of  men  fit  to  bear  arms.  The  measure  has 
no  relation  to  the  conduct  of  the  war  properly  so  called, 
but  has  been  brought  about  by  social  and  economic  causes." 

Just  as  though,  forsooth,  the  engagements  of  a  man  of 
honor  were,  like  a  lease,  subject  to  revision  at  the  end  of 
one  or  two  years,  and  as  though  the  declaration  issued  in 
19 14  did  not  expressly  exclude  alike  the  operations  of  war 
and  forced  labor,  as  though  finally  every  Belgian  workman 
who  takes  the  place  of  a  German  laborer  does  not  con- 
tribute to  replenish  the  depleted  ranks  of  the  German 
army. 

We,  shepherds  of  these  sheep  snatched  from  us  by 
brute  force,  harassed  as  we  are  at  the  idea  of  the  moral 
and  religious  isolation  which  they  will  have  to  endure,  im- 
potent witnesses  of  the  sorrows  and  dismay  of  so  many 
homes  broken  up  or  threatened  with  this  calamity,  we  turn 
toward  those  souls  whether  believing  or  unbelieving,  who,  in 


DEPORTATION  OF  UNEMPLOYED  321 


the  allied  or  neutral  countries,  or  even  in  enemy  lands,  enter- 
tain respect  for  the  dignity  of  man. 

When  Cardinal  Lavigerie  undertook  his  campaign 
against  slavery,  Pope  Leo  XIII,  blessing  his  mission,  said 
to  him  :  "Opinion  is  more  than  ever  today  the  ruling  power 
of  the  world;  it  is  upon  it  you  must  act.  You  will  conquer 
only  by  force  of  opinion." 

May  divine  Providence  deign  to  give  to  some  one,  to 
some  authority,  a  phrase,  a  pen,  to  cause  men  to  flock  to 
our  humble  Belgian  standard  for  the  abolition  of  European 
slavery. 

"Honor  before  all  things. "  (Nihil  praeferendum 
honestati.) 

Signed  on  behalf  of  the  Belgian  bishops  * 

D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 
Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  Governor  General  had  attempted  to  justify  the  con- 
demnation of  the  Belgian  working  classes  to  penal  servitude 
and  deportation.  In  his  reply  the  Cardinal  refutes  all  the 
arguments  brought  forward  by  Baron  von  Bissing  for  de- 
fending the  German  Government,  and  proves,  in  a  peremp- 
tory manner,  the  anti-juridical  and  anti-social  character  of 
the  deportation  of  the  unemployed. 

Archbishop' s  House,  Malines, 

November  10th,  19 16. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — I  refrain  from  expressing  to  your  Excellency  the 
sentiments  awakened  in  me  by  your  letter  (1,100051)  in 
answer  to  the  letter  I  addressed  to  you  October  19th  regard- 
ing the  deportation  of  the  unemployed. 

I  have  a  melancholy  recollection  of  the  phrase,  which 
your  Excellency,  emphasizing  each  syllable,  pronounced  in 
my  presence  on  your  arrival  at  Brussels.  "I  hope  our  rela- 
tions will  be  cordial.  ...  I  have  received  a  mission  to  heal 
the  wounds  of  Belgium," 

My  letter  of  October  19th  recalled  to  your  Excellency's 

*  We  were  unable  to  communicate  with  the  Bishop  of  Brussels. 


322   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


memory  the  undertaking  given  by  Baron  von  Huene,  mili- 
tary governor  of  Antwerp,  and  ratified  some  days  later 
by  Baron  von  der  Goltz,  your  predecessor  in  the  General 
Government  at  Brussels. 

The  undertaking  was  explicit,  unconditional,  without 
limit  of  time.  "Young  men  need  not  fear  being  carried  off 
to  Germany,  either  to  be  enrolled  in  the  army  or  to  be  there 
employed  in  compulsory  labor." 

This  understanding  has  been  broken  daily  and  thou- 
sands of  times  for  more  than  a  fortnight. 

Baron  von  Huene  and  the  late  Baron  von  der  Goltz  did 
not  speak  with  any  qualification  as  your  dispatch  of  October 
26th  seemed  to  imply:  "If  the  occupation  does  not  last 
more  than  two  years,  men  fit  for  military  service  shall  not 
be  placed  in  captivity."  They  stated  absolutely:  "Young 
men,  and  still  more  men  of  riper  age,  shall  not  at  any  time 
during  the  occupation  be  imprisoned  or  employed  in  com- 
pulsory labor." 

To  justify  yourself  your  Excellency  quotes  the  conduct 
of  England  and  France,  who  have,  you  say,  taken  from  neu- 
tral ships  all  Germans  between  seventeen  and  fifty  years 
of  age  and  interned  them  in  concentration  camps. 

If  England  and  France  have  been  guilty  of  an  injus- 
tice, it  is  on  the  English  and  the  French  that  you  should 
have  inflicted  reprisals,  not  on  an  innocent  and  disarmed 
people. 

But  has  there  been  any  injustice?  Imperfectly  informed 
as  we  are  of  all  that  takes  place  outside  the  walls  of  our 
prison,  we  are  tempted  to  believe  that  the  Germans  taken 
and  interned  belonged  to  the  reserve  of  the  imperial  army. 
They  were  therefore  soldiers  whom  England  and  France 
were  justified  in  sending  to  concentration  camps.  Belgium 
has  only  recently,  that  is  since  August,  19 13,  had  universal 
military  service  ;  the  Belgians,  therefore,  from  seventeen  to 
fifty  years  of  age  residing  in  the  occupied  part  of  Belgium 
are  civilians  and  noncombatants.  It  is  a  mere  play  on  words 
to  liken  them  to  German  reservists  in  applying  to  them  the 
misleading  appellation  "men  fit  for  military  service." 

The  orders,  public  notices,  comments  in  the  press  de- 


DEPORTATION  OF  UNEMPLOYED  323 


signed  to  prepare  public  opinion  for  the  measures  being  put 
at  this  moment  into  execution,  have  placed  in  the  forefront 
two  considerations.  The  unemployed,  it  was  said,  are  a 
danger  to  public  security;  they  are  a  burden  on  the  state. 

It  is  not  true,  as  said  before  in  my  letter  of  October 
19th,  that  our  workmen  have  upset  or  simply  threatened 
anywhere  to  disturb  public  order.  Five  million  Belgians, 
hundreds  of  Americans,  are  wonder-struck  witnesses  of  the 
self-respect  and  unfailing  patience  of  our  working  classes. 

It  is  not  true  that  workers  deprived  of  work  are  a  bur- 
den on  the  occupying  power  or  on  the  benevolent  funds  over 
which  its  administration  presides.  The  national  commit- 
tee to  which  the  occupying  power  makes  no  contribution  is 
the  sole  means  by  which  victims  of  enforced  idleness  are 
assisted. 

These  two  answers  have  been  left  without  reply. 

The  letter  of  October  26th  seeks  another  method  of 
justification.  It  alleges  that  the  measure  by  which  the  un- 
employed have  been  struck  so  grievously  has  been  "brought 
about  by  social  and  economic  causes." 

"It  is  because  it  has  at  heart  more  earnestly  and  more 
intelligently  than  ourselves  the  interest  of  the  Belgian  na- 
tion that  the  German  Government  rescues  the  laborer  from 
idleness  and  saves  him  from  losing  his  technical  skill.  Com- 
pulsory labor  is  the  price  to  be  paid  for  the  economic  advan- 
tages procured  by  our  commercial  exchanges  with  the  em- 
pire. 

"Moreover,  if  the  Belgian  has  to  complain  of  this  state 
of  affairs,  let  him  address  his  complaints  to  England.  She 
is  the  great  criminal.  She  by  her  policy  of  isolation  has 
brought  about  this  restricted  measure." 

Every  Belgian  workman  sets  free  a  German  workman 
who  will  become  an  additional  soldier  for  the  German  army. 
It  is  this  fact  in  all  its  nakedness  that  dominates  the  situa- 
tion. The  author  of  the  letter  himself  feels  this  glaring 
fact,  for  he  writes  :  "The  measure  has  no  connection  what- 
ever with  the  conduct  of  the  war  properly  so  called."  It 
has,  therefore,  a  connection  with  the  war  improperly  so 
called.   What  does  this  mean  except  that  the  Belgian  work- 


324  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


man  does  not  indeed  bear  arms,  but  frees  the  hands  of  the 
Germans  who  will  take  up  arms.  The  Belgian  worker  is 
constrained  to  co-operate  indirectly.  This  is  in  palpable 
contradiction  with  the  spirit  of  The  Hague  convention. 
Again  the  lack  of  work  is  not  the  fault  of  the  Belgian  work- 
man, nor  of  England;  it  is  an  effect  of  the  German  occupa- 
tion and  its  regime. 

The  occupying  power  has  taken  possession  of  consider- 
able supplies  of  raw  materials  destined  for  our  national 
industry;  it  has  seized  and  sent  off  to  Germany  the  tools, 
the  machines  and  metals  of  our  workshops  and  factories. 
The  very  possibility  of  national  work  being  thus  eliminated, 
there  remained  for  the  workman  but  one  alternative:  to 
work  for  the  German  empire  either  here  or  in  Germany, 
or  to  remain  idle.  Some  tens  of  thousands  of  workmen 
under  the  pressure  of  fear  or  famine  agreed,  under  con- 
straint for  the  most  part,  to  work  for  the  foreigner  :  but  four 
hundred  thousand  workmen  preferred  to  give  themselves 
over  to  idleness  with  all  its  attendant  privations  rather  than 
to  do  an  ill-service  to  their  country.  They  lived  in  poverty 
with  the  help  of  slender  assistance  allowed  them  by  the 
national  committee  of  help  and  alimentation,  under  the  con- 
trol of  the  protecting  ministers  of  Spain,  America  and  Hol- 
land. Calm  and  self-respecting,  they  bore  without  a  mur- 
mur their  painful  lot.  Nowhere  was  there  any  rising  or  sign 
of  rising;  master  and  workmen  awaited  with  patience  the 
end  of  our  protracted  trial. 

Nevertheless  communal  administrations  and  private  in- 
itiative endeavored  to  lessen  the  undeniable  inconvenience  of 
unemployment.  But  the  occupying  power  paralyzed  all 
their  efforts.  The  national  committee  endeavored  to  organ- 
ize a  course  of  technical  instruction  for  the  benefit  of  the 
unemployed.  This  scheme  of  instruction,  characterized  by  a 
tender  regard  for  the  workman's  self-respect,  wished  to 
take  him  by  the  hand,  to  enlarge  his  capacity  for  work  and 
thus  prepare  the  way  for  the  country's  resurrection.  Who 
thwarted  this  noble  enterprise,  the  plan  of  which  had  been 
carefully  thought  out  by  the  great  captains  of  industry? 
Who?    Why,  the  power  in  occupation.    Nevertheless  the 


DEPORTATION  OF  UNEMPLOYED  325 


communes  did  their  best  to  initiate  works  of  practical  utility 
to  be  carried  out  by  the  unemployed.  These  the  Governor 
General  would  not  permit  without  his  previous  sanction,  a 
sanction  which  he  generally  refused.  I  am  told  that  the 
Governor  General  in  not  a  few  cases  graciously  gave  his 
permission  for  works  of  this  kind  with  the  express  stipula- 
tion that  the  unemployed  should  not  be  engaged  on  them. 

In  fact,  they  wanted  unemployment.  The  German  army 
indirectly  was  recruited  from  the  ranks  of  those  out  of  work. 

No,  the  Belgian  workman  is  far  from  lazy;  nay,  he  wor- 
ships labor.  In  all  the  economic  struggles  of  modern  times 
he  has  proved  his  worth.  When  he  rejected  posts  com- 
manding a  big  salary  offered  him  by  the  occupying  authority, 
he  did  so  from  patriotic  self-respect.  We  shepherds  of  the 
people,  intimately  acquainted  with  their  sorrows  and  anxie- 
ties, we  know  with  what  great  cost  they  preferred  independ- 
ence coupled  with  privation  to  comfort  and  ease  linked  with 
subjection. 

The  letter  of  October  29  boldly  states  that  the  nation 
chiefly  to  blame  for  the  unemployment  of  our  workmen  is 
England,  because  she  hinders  raw  materials  from  entering 
Belgium. 

England  generously  allows  foodstuffs  to  enter  Belgium 
under  the  control  of  neutral  states — Spain,  the  United  States 
and  Holland.  She  would  certainly  under  the  same  control 
permit  the  entrance  of  raw  materials  required  by  our  indus- 
tries, provided  Germany  would  consent  to  our  retaining 
them  and  did  not  pounce  on  our  manufactured  goods. 

But  Germany  by  various  methods,  notably  by  the  cun- 
ning organization  of  her  "Centrales,"  over  which  no  Belgian 
or  any  one  of  the  protecting  ministers  exercises  any  offi- 
cial control,  absorbs  a  considerable  quantity  of  our  agri- 
cultural produce  and  of  the  country's  manufactured  goods. 
The  result  is  a  disquieting  rise  in  the  cost  of  living,  the  cause 
of  painful  privations  to  those  who  have  used  up  their  sav- 
ings or  never  had  any.  The  community  of  interests,  the 
advantage  of  which  the  letter  lauds  to  the  skies,  is  not  the 
normal  equilibrium  of  commercial  exchange,  but  the  pre- 
dominance of  the  strong  over  the  weak. 


326   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


As  to  this  condition  of  economic  inferiority  to  which  we 
are  reduced,  do  not,  I  pray,  represent  it  to  us  as  a  privilege 
that  justifies  forced  labor  for  our  enemy's  profit,  and  coun- 
terbalances the  deportation  of  legions  of  innocent  beings  into 
a  land  of  exile. 

After  the  penalty  of  death,  slavery — deportation — is  the 
heaviest  punishment  known  to  the  penal  code. 

Belgium,  that  has  never  done  you  any  harm,  has  she 
deserved  at  your  hands  this  treatment  calling  to  heaven  for 
vengeance  ? 

Sir,  I  recalled  at  the  outset  your  whole  utterance  :  "I 
have  come  to  Belgium  with  a  mission  to  heal  the  country's 
wounds.  " 

Two  years  ago  the  excuse  made  for  death,  pillage  and 
conflagration  was  that  it  was  war.  Perhaps  for  one  party, 
whom  charity  too  kindly  excused,  it  was  the  intoxication  of 
opening  victories.  Today  it  is  war  no  longer.  It  is  frigid 
calculation,  deliberate  destruction,  the  empire  of  force  over 
right,  the  abasement  of  human  nature,  a  challenge  to  human- 
ity. It  lies  with  your  Excellency  to  stop  these  cries  of  con- 
science in  revolt. 

Receive,  sir,  the  homage  of  our  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.,  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  preceding  letter  having  been  returned  to  the  arch- 
bishop's house  by  the  postal  authorities  because  unstamped, 
the  Cardinal  sent  it  a  second  time  to  Baron  von  Bissing 
with  the  following  note  : 

Archbishop's  House,  Malines, 

November  12th ,  19 16. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Your  Excellency — The  inclosed  letter,  dated  November 
10th,  will  reach  your  Excellency  late,  because  it  has  been 
returned  to  me.    It  had  been  posted  unstamped. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 


DEPORTATION  OF  UNEMPLOYED  327 


The  Governor  General  shirked  the  discussion.  To  the 
closely  knitted  arguments  of  the  Cardinal  he  merely  op- 
posed his  former  considerations,  as  expounded,  almost  word 
for  word,  in  his  despatch  of  October  26th. 

Government  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 

November  23rd,  191 6. 
To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

I  beg  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  Eminence's  es- 
teemed letter  of  the  10th  inst,  also  the  note  which  you  sent 
on  the  15th  inst.  to  explain  the  delay  in  the  arrival  of  your 
letter.    My  answer  is  as  follows: 

Your  Eminence  wrote  to  me  on  the  19th  of  October  last 
with  the  object  of  putting  an  end  to  the  deportation  of  Bel- 
gian unemployed  into  Germany.  In  my  reply  of  October 
19th,  while  fittingly  realizing  your  Eminence's  standpoint, 
I  set  forth  the  reasons  which  induced  the  occupying  power 
to  form  its  decisions  respecting  the  unemployed.  These 
decisions  were  not  come  to  arbitrarily,  nor  without  ample 
investigation  of  this  difficult  problem,  but  were  on  the  con- 
trary the  result  of  an  exhaustive  study  of  all  the  aspects  of 
this  question.  The  necessity  of  the  steps  taken  was  recog- 
nized as  unavoidable.  In  short,  I  feel  justified  in  referring 
your  Eminence  to  the  considerations  which  I  set  out  in  my 
letter  of  October  26th.  The  reasons  you  allege  for  com- 
bating them  rest  either  on  the  mistaken  interpretation  you 
give  them,  or  are  derived  from  theories  which  from  their 
very  nature  I  cannot  admit,  for  such  widespread  unemploy- 
ment in  Belgium  is  a  serious  sore  in  the  body  politic,  and 
from  this  point  of  view  a  benefit  would  be  conferred  on  the 
unemployed  if  work  were  provided  for  them  in  Germany. 
In  this  sense  the  steps  taken  are  by  no  means  contrary  to  the 
desire  I  expressed  to  your  Eminence  the  very  moment  I  ar- 
rived in  Belgium,  to  remedy  the  evils  the  war  has  inflicted 
on  the  Belgian  people.  I  must  also  maintain  that  your  Emi- 
nence fails  to  understand  the  reality  of  facts,  when  you  seek 
to  deny  my  efforts  to  restore  the  economic  life  of  Belgium, 
efforts  which  have  often  been  crowned  with  success,  and  also 
when  you  say  that,  so  far  from  favoring  the  restoration  of 


328  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


industry,  the  occupying  power  has  endeavored  to  create 
an  artificial  state  of  unemployment.  England  has  imposed 
unacceptable  conditions  on  the  importation  of  raw  materials 
into  Belgium  and  on  the  exportation  of  manufactured  goods. 
These  questions  were  at  the  proper  moment  the  subject 
of  constant  negotiations  with  the  competent  authorities  of 
Belgium  and  neutral  countries.  I  will  not  enter  into  details  ; 
that  would  take  me  too  far  afield.  I  content  myself  with 
repeating  that  in  their  ultimate  analysis  the  deplorable  con- 
ditions that  obtain  in  Belgium  are  a  result  of  the  English 
blockade  just  as  the  confiscation  of  raw  material  was  a 
measure  also  dictated  by  that  policy.  Again,  I  am  abso- 
lutely convinced  that  from  the  economic  point  of  view  the 
occupying  power  guarantees  to  Belgium  all  the  advantages 
which  can  be  secured  for  her,  taking  into  account  the  dis- 
tress caused  by  England. 

In  carrying  out  the  steps  taken  with  regard  to  the  un- 
employed, my  officials  have  met  with  a  long  series  of  diffi- 
culties entailing  annoyances,  which  have  reacted  also  upon 
the  whole  population.  All  that  could  have  been  avoided, 
had  the  various  municipal  bodies  shown  good  will  and  facili- 
tated the  execution  of  these  measures. 

In  the  actual  circumstances  it  was  needful  to  adopt  more 
general  measures,  the  first  result  of  which  was  to  oblige  per- 
sons other  than  the  unemployed  to  answer  the  roll-call.  But 
arrangements  were  made  to  preclude  all  possibility  of  error, 
but  those  belonging  to  certain  professions  were  dispensed 
from  appearing,  while  genuine  appeals  are  either  heard  at 
once  or  passed  on  for  investigation. 

From  all  the  above  facts,  your  Eminence  will  perceive 
the  impossibility  of  complying  with  your  desire  to  put  a 
stop  to  the  line  of  action  we  have  decided  upon,  but,  on  the 
contrary,  the  execution  of  these  measures,  in  spite  of  all  the 
difficulties  we  meet  with,  will  be  carried  out  in  the  best  in- 
terests of  all. 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Lieutenant  General. 


DEPORTATION  OF  UNEMPLOYED  329 


In  a  fresh  letter  to  Baron  von  Bissing,  the  Cardinal 
maintains  that  his  arguments  have  been  left  unanswered;  he 
protests  once  more  against  the  brutal  way  in  which  the  re- 
cruiting of  the  so-called  unemployed  everywhere  takes  place. 

Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

November  igth,  1916. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General  of 
Belgium. 

The  letter  which  your  Excellency  does  me  the  honor 
to  write  me,  dated  November  23rd,  is  disappointing.  In 
several  circles,  that  I  had  reason  to  believe  well  informed, 
it  was  asserted  that  your  Excellency  had  felt  it  your  duty 
to  lay  a  protest  before  the  highest  authorities  of  the  empire 
against  the  regulations  you  were  forced  to  apply  to  Belgium. 
I  counted,  therefore,  on  at  least  some  delay  in  the  applica- 
tion of  these  measures,  pending  a  fresh  examination,  and  in 
a  mitigation  in  the  method  of  executing  them. 

But  lo  and  behold  !  without  a  word  of  answer  to  any  one 
of  the  arguments  by  which  I  proved  in  my  letters  of  October 
19th  and  November  10th  the  illegal  and  anti-social  nature 
of  the  condemnation  of  the  Belgian  workingmen  to  forced 
labor  and  deportation,  your  Excellency  confines  yourself  to 
repeating  in  your  letter  of  November  23rd  the  very  text  of 
your  letter  of  October  26th.  These  two  letters  are,  in  fact, 
identical  both  in  matter  and  form. 

On  the  other  hand  the  recruiting  of  the  so-called  un- 
employed is  carried  out  most  of  the  time  without  any  re- 
gard to  the  observations  of  the  local  authorities.  Many 
reports  I  hold  in  my  hands  bear  witness  that  the  clergy  are 
brutally  kept  at  a  distance,  the  mayors  and  local  councilors 
silenced;  the  recruiting  officers  find  themselves  in  the  pres- 
ence of  individuals  unknown  to  them  and  arbitrarily  make 
their  choice  from  among  their  number.  Instances  of  this 
abound.  I  will  give  you  two  recent  examples  from  a  crowd 
of  others  which  I  hold  at  your  Excellency's  service. 

On  November  21st  the  recruiting  of  forced  labor  took 
place  in  the  village  of  Kersbeek-Miscom.  Of  the  1,325 
inhabitants  of  the  commune,  the  recruiting  officers  took  away 


330  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


ninety-four  in  a  body  without  distinction  of  social  status 
or  profession  ;  farmers'  sons,  men  who  have  to  support  aged 
and  infirm  parents,  fathers  of  families  who  left  wife  and 
children  in  want;  men  who  were  as  needful  to  their  families 
as  their  daily  bread.  Two  families,  both  of  them,  saw  four 
sons  carried  off  at  the  same  time.  Of  the  ninety-four  thus 
deported,  only  two  were  really  unemployed. 

In  the  region  of  Aerschot  the  recruiting  took  place  on 
November  23rd.  At  Rillaer,  Gelrode  and  Rotselaer  young 
men  who  supported  their  widowed  mothers,  farmers,  the 
heads  of  numerous  families — one  of  them  more  than  fifty 
years  of  age  with  ten  children — cultivating  the  land  and 
owning  several  head  of  cattle,  who  had  never  received  a 
penny  from  public  charity,  were  taken  away  by  force  in  spite 
of  all  their  protests.  In  the  little  village  of  Rillaer,  as  many 
as  twenty-five  young  lads  of  seventeen  were  taken  away. 

Your  Excellency  would  have  wished  that  the  communal 
authorities  be  accomplices  in  these  odious  recruitings  ;  neither 
their  legal  position  nor  their  conscience  would  allow  them 
to  do  so.  But  they  could  have  enlightened  the  "recruiters" 
and  are  specially  qualified  for  that.  Priests,  who  know  the 
common  people  better  than  any  one  else,  could  render  these 
officials  valuable  help.    Why  is  their  assistance  refused? 

At  the  end  of  your  letter  your  Excellency  reminds  me 
that  professional  men  are  not  molested.  If  only  the  unem- 
ployed were  taken  away  I  could  understand  this  exception. 
But  if  the  able-bodied  are  enrolled  indiscriminately  that 
exception  is  unfair.  It  would  be  iniquitous  to  throw  the 
whole  burden  of  deportation  on  the  working  classes.  The 
middle  classes  ought  also  to  share  in  the  sacrifice  imposed 
on  the  nation  by  the  occupying  power,  however  cruel  this 
sacrifice  may  be,  and  justly  so,  because  it  is  cruel.  Numbers 
of  my  clergy  have  entreated  me  to  demand  for  them  a  place 
in  the  vanguard  of  the  persecuted.  I  record  this  request 
and  submit  it  to  you  with  pride. 

I  still  wish  to  believe  that  the  authorities  of  the  empire 
have  not  said  their  last  word,  that  they  will  not  be  unmind- 
ful of  our  undeserved  sorrows,  of  the  reprobation  of  the 


DEPORTATION  OF  UNEMPLOYED  331 


civilized  world,  of  the  verdict  of  history  and  of  the  chastise- 
ment of  God. 

Accept,  Excellency,  the  expression  of  my  sincere  esteem. 
(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  Governor  General  commissioned  the  chief  of  the 
political  department  to  acknowledge  receipt  of  the  Cardi- 
nal's letter  of  November  29th,  reserving  the  right  of  answer- 
ing it  himself  later  on. 

Political  Department  of  the  Government  General  of  Bel- 
gium, Brussels.  December  $th,  19 16. 
To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

I  have  the  honor  to  inform  your  Eminence  that  the 
Governor  General  has  noted  with  interest  the  remarks  anent 
the  question  of  the  unemployed,  which  you  made  in  your 
letter  of  the  29th  inst.,  nevertheless,  in  consequence  of  a 
brief  absence,  he  will  be  unable  to  reply  for  some  days.  To 
my  great  regret  the  pardon  of  F.  Franch,*  of  Malines,  can- 
not be  granted  for  the  present.  But  when  he  has  served 
half  his  sentence,  then,  if  your  Eminence  wishes  to  present 
a  request  in  his  behalf,  I  have  reason  to  hope  that  it  will 
be  crowned  with  success.  I  present  to  your  Eminence  the 
expression  of  my  sincere  esteem,  and  I  am  yours  devotedly, 

(Signed)  Lancken. 

Von  Bissing,  in  spite  of  his  promise,  did  not  answer  the 
letter  of  November  29th.  He  confined  himself  to  inform- 
ing the  Cardina},  through  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  that  he 
could  not  accept  the  help  offered  by  the  priests  in  the  work 
of  enrolling  the  unemployed. 

Political  Department  of  the  Government  General  of  Bel» 

gium,  Brussels.  December  gth,  19 16. 

To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 
In  reply  to  your  esteemed  letter  of  November  27th 

*  F.  Franch,  in  religion  F.  Servasius,  Superior  of  the  Franciscans  at 
Malines,  had  been  sentenced  to  a  year's  imprisonment  on  a  charge  of 
having  had  printed  a  poem  offensive  to  the  Germans.  In  a  letter  dated 
November  n  the  Cardinal  interceded  in  his  favor. 


332  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


last,  I  have  the  honor  to  inform  your  Eminence  that  the 
Governor  General,  after  investigating  the  case,  has  been 
unable  to  make  use  of  his  right  of  reprieve  in  favor  of  the 
Engineer  Uytebroek  and  the  Railwayman  Mertens,  con- 
demned to  death  for  espionage.  In  regard  to  Wanty,  no 
definite  decision  can  be  taken  until  it  has  been  ascertained 
by  medical  examination  whether  he  is  of  sound  mind  and 
therefore  responsible  for  his  actions.* 

The  Governor  General  instructs  me  to  inform  your  Emi- 
nence, in  reply  to  your  letter  of  November  29th,  that  he  is 
unfortunately  unable  to  grant  to  priests  a  kind  of  official 
co-operation  in  recruiting  the  unemployed.  But,  taking  into 
account  the  reasons  assigned  by  your  Eminence,  the  Gover- 
nor General  leaves  the  priests  free  to  attend  the  offices  of  the 
recruiting  authorities  and  there  impart  their  information 
and  express  their  wishes  before  the  enrollment  is  begun. 

I  present  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)  Lancken. 

Several  days  later  the  Cardinal  sent  the  parish  priests* 
of  his  diocese  the  following  instructions  : 

"In  spite  of  the  protests  addressed  to  Germany  by  the 
Sovereign  Pontiff  and  several  neutral  states,  the  deportation 
of  our  civil  population  still  continues.  It  is  our  duty  to  les- 
sen to  the  best  of  our  ability  an  evil  we  are  powerless  to 
prevent. 

"The  moment  that  notices  to  assemble  are  placarded  in 
your  parish,  please  warn  persons  who  do  not  depend  on  pub- 
lic assistance  to  provide  themselves  with  a  receipt  for  the 
payment  of  this  year's  taxes,  duly  certified  by  the  communal 
authorities.  The  sick  and  delicate  must  ask  their  doctor 
for  a  certificate  of  ill  health;  workmen  who  are  employed 
must  ask  their  masters  for  a  declaration,  countersigned  by 
the  burgomaster,  that  they  are  in  employment. 

"Acting  in  concert  with  influential  persons  of  your  par- 
ish, take  specially  to  heart  the  interests  of  those  parishioners 

*  The  Cardinal  interceded  on  behalf  of  the  condemned  men  in  a  letter 
addressed  to  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  dated  November  27. 


DEPORTATION  OF  UNEMPLOYED  333 


who,  according  to  the  instructions  of  the  German  authori- 
ties, are  exempt  from  deportation.  Then  take  joint  action 
with  the  communal  authorities,  the  national  committee  for 
relief  and  food  supplies,  and  your  well-to-do  and  devout 
parishioners,  in  order  to  provide  for  the  indigent,  whose 
departure  is  probable,  clothes  and  other  necessaries. 

"On  the  eve  of  their  departure,  or  the  day  before,  invite 
those  who  are  going  off  to  come  to  confession.  Provide  an 
adequate  number  of  confessors  for  them,  celebrate  mass 
for  their  intention,  to  which  you  will  be  careful  to  summon 
their  children,  grandchildren  and  interested  adults,  to  the 
end  that  the  communion  made  by  them,  together  with  their 
whole  family,  may  prove  a  comfort  to  them  and  a  memory 
which  they  can  carry  away  with  them  into  exile.  In  a  suit- 
able instruction,  exhort  them  to  remain  steadfast  in  their 
faith  and  their  moral  and  religious  practices  during  the 
period  of  their  absence.  At  home  prayers  will  be  recited 
for  them.  Give  those  who  are  going  away  a  rosary,  a 
scapular  and  a  New  Testament. 

"The  day  following  their  departure  make  an  appeal  to 
the  best  of  your  charitable  parishioners,  both  men  and 
women,  get  into  contact  with  the  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Society, 
with  the  Ladies  of  Mercy,  the  Third  Order  of  St.  Francis, 
the  congregations  and  confraternities,  the  manifold  societies 
affiliated  with  the  diocesan  Federation  of  Catholic  Women, 
of  which  the  Abbe  Halflants  is  the  director,  and  form  with 
their  help  and  under  the  direction  of  the  parish  priest  or 
his  delegate  a  committee  of  moral  assistance,  who  will  un- 
dertake to  visit  stricken  families,  to  comfort,  advise  and  help 
them.  Give  them  moral  support  and  help  them  materially, 
if  need  be.  A  Christian  parish  forms  one  family.  When 
in  a  family  one  member  suffers,  all  suffer;  when  it  enjoys 
prosperity,  every  one  shares  therein.  And  so  not  one  single 
home  in  the  parish  should  be  left  out,  unknown  or  forgotten. 
If  this  were  desirable  in  normal  times,  it  should  be  abso- 
lutely necessary  in  these  distressing  days.  Those  who  have 
leisure  ought  to  place  themselves  at  the  disposal  of  those 
who  have  none.  The  superfluity  of  some  ought  to  minister 
to  the  wants  of  others.    Mutual  help  so  understood  and 


334  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


practiced  is  but  the  fulfillment  of  the  law  of  Christ.  Bear 
ye  one  another's  burdens,  says  the  Apostle  Paul,  and  so 
you  shall  fulfill  the  law  of  Christ. 

"The  parish  priests  who  are  in  need  of  some  help  in  their 
ministry  of  charity  may  come  or  send  some  one  to  me  for  it, 
but  I  should  like  them  to  be  good  enough  to  fix  approxi- 
mately the  amount  of  help  they  require.  We  must  leave 
no  stone  unturned  to  effect  the  repatriation  of  those  who, 
according  to  the  German  Government's  declarations,  ought 
to  be  immune  from  deportation.  To  that  end,  a  committee 
has  been  organized  in  our  Episcopal  Curia  to  deal  with 
cases  calling  for  redress." 

From  the  very  beginning  of  the  occupation,  the  Cardinal 
had  over  and  over  again  begged  both  the  military  and  eccle- 
siastical authorities  of  the  empire  for  permission  to  send 
Belgian  priests  to  prison  camps  in  Germany,  but  in  vain. 
Undaunted  by  the  successive  rebuffs  he  met  with,  he  returns 
once  more  to  the  attack  on  behalf  of  the  victims  of  this  sys- 
tem of  deportation;  he  appeals  to  the  German  bishops  and 
entreats  them  to  use  their  influence  to  obtain  permission  for 
Belgian  priests  to  go  into  the  land  of  exile,  so  as  to*  afford 
the  unfortunate  deported  the  consolations  of  religion. 

Archbishop* s  House,  Malines, 

January  i^rd,  19 17. 

Most  Eminent  Lords — I  pray  God  to  enlighten  your 
Eminences  so  that  you  may  recognize  the  spirit  of  charity  in 
which  this  letter  is  written  and  be  inspired  to  read  it  in  the 
same  light.  I  cannot  forget  that  my  previous  correspond- 
ence was  received  by  you  with  undeserved  distrust,  but  now 
that  I  have  to  deal  with  interests  so  exclusively  religious,  my 
Christian  confidence  triumphs  over  my  fears. 

Your  Eminences  are  aware  that  there  are  some  thou- 
sands of  military  and  civil  Belgians — we  do  not  know  the 
exact  number — confined  in  the  German  prisons.  Informa- 
tion reaches  us  from  time  to  time  bringing  the  sad  news  that 
a  considerable  number  of  them  have 'gradually  abandoned 
their  religious  practices.    One  of  the  reasons  for  this  pro- 


DEPORTATION  OF  UNEMPLOYED  335 


gressive  indifference  is  the  antipathy  inspired  in  them  by 
chaplains  whose  language  is  a  constant  reminder  of  a  bel- 
ligerent nation  and  a  sorrowful  past.  It  avails  little  to  say 
that  the  chaplains  are  charitable  and  the  prisoners  in  the 
wrong.  I  refrain  from  passing  judgment  on  this  fact,  but 
none  the  less  it  is  a  fact  which  we,  as  shepherds  of  souls, 
cannot  but  bitterly  deplore.  Up  to  quite  recently  the  mili- 
tary authorities  have  refused  even  to  those  condemned  to 
death  a  priest  of  their  own  nationality  and  speaking  their 
own  language.  I  know  of  nothing  more  deplorable  than 
this.  It  cannot  be  denied  that  faith  must  be  raised  to  the 
level  of  heroism,  if  the  prisoners  are  to  be  inspired  with 
filial  confidence  in  a  priest  who,  from  the  human  point  of 
view,  appears  to  them  in  the  light  of  an  envoy  from  an 
enemy  power. 

The  oft-repeated  petitions  of  the  Belgian  episcopate,  to 
which  I  am  assured  the  German  bishops  have  been  good 
enough  to  lend  support,  even  the  august  intervention  of  his 
Holiness  himself,  have  not  yet  succeeded  in  bringing  about 
any  improvement  in  this  state  of  things. 

Now,  the  occupying  power  has  deported  and  continues 
to  deport  thousands  of  civilians,  Flemings  and  Walloons, 
and  sends  them  we  know  not  where  into  camps  and  fac- 
tories, compelling  them  to  work  to  the  advantage  of  the 
enemy.  These  wretched  men  suffer  from  hunger  and  cold; 
many  of  them  are  spat  upon  and  beaten  because  they  refuse 
to  work  "voluntarily."  It  is  easier  for  you  than  it  is  for 
us  to  verify  this  cruel  treatment  and  have  it  brought  to  an 
end.  We  tremble,  and  the  mothers  of  families  tremble,  at 
the  thought  of  the  danger  to  which  the  faith  and  the  morals 
of  these  poor,  forsaken  men  are  exposed.  They  feel  iso- 
lated, without  home  life,  far  from  the  sacraments  and  out 
of  contact  with  their  parochial  Belgian  clergy. 

I  am  loath  to  believe  that  your  Eminences  feel  no  sym- 
pathy with  us  in  our  anxiety  and  that  you  will  hold  your 
powerful  support  from  us  now. 

If  the  German  Empire  will  not  grant  the  repatriation  of 
our  fellow-citizens,  whom,  contrary  to  all  truth,  it  styles 
unemployed,  a  burden  on  public  funds,  obtain  for  us,  I  en- 


336   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


treat  you,  permission  to  send  them  our  priests  to  protect 
their  morals  and  safeguard  their  faith.  These  priests  are 
ready  to  endure  every  sacrifice.  They  will  agree  not  to  re- 
turn to  Belgium  save  with  those  to  whom  they  earnestly 
desire  to  devote  themselves. 

I  intrust  with  all  confidence  my  petition  to  your  apostolic 
hearts,  which  petition  is  a  joint  one  from  the  Belgian  clergy 
and  episcopate,  the  mothers,  wives  and  children  of  our 
Christian  families. 

Receive,  my  Lord  Cardinals,  the  assurance  of  my  re- 
spectful and  religiously  devoted  sentiments. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  M  alines. 

The  Cardinal  Archbishop  of  Cologne  and  other  Ger- 
man bishops  made  pressing  and  repeated  attempts,  but  with- 
out success,  to  obtain  from  the  military  authorities  permis- 
sion for  the  Belgian  priests  to  accompany  those  deported. 

The  United  States  protested  against  the  transfer  of 
Belgian  workmen  to  Germany.  The  Imperial  Government 
answered  that  it  would  only  deport  the  unemployed  who 
were  in  receipt  of  outside  help.  Consequently,  persons  oc- 
cupying an  independent  position  and  men  actually  in  work 
would  be  exempt  from  deportation. 

On  the  other  hand,  in  reply  to  a  note  from  the  Nether- 
lands Government,  the  German  Government  declared  that 
it  would  not  deport  Belgians  who  had  taken  refuge  in  Hol- 
land in  October,  19 14,  and  had  entered  Belgium  on  the 
distinct  understanding  that  they  would  not  be  molested. 
Being  powerless  to  put  an  end  to  the  enrollment  of  men,  the 
Cardinal  was  at  least  desirous  of  contributing  by  every 
means  at  his  command  to  the  repatriation  of  these  two 
classes  of  the  deported.  As  announced  in  his  instructions 
to  his  priests,  he  established  at  the  archbishop's  house  an 
office  for  the  reception  of  appeals.  In  his  first  request  to 
the  Governor  General  he  appeals  for  the  repatriation  of  698 
persons. 


DEPORTATION  OF  UNEMPLOYED  337 


Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

January  i\thy  191 7. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Huene,  Interim  Governor 
General,  Brussels. 

In  its  reply  to  the  protest  made  by  the  United  States 
against  the  deportation  of  Belgium  citizens  into  Germanv, 
the  Imperial  Government  declared  that  the  transfer  should 
be  limited  to  those  only  who  were  receiving  help  from  pub- 
lic funds  and  had  no  work  in  Belgium.  I  have  the  honor 
of  inviting  your  Excellency's  attention  to  the  cases  of  men 
belonging  to  my  diocese,  the  transfer  of  whom  is  no  doubt 
due  to  mistakes  made  in  recruiting. 

As  the  certificates  joined  to  the  petition  of  repatriation 
duly  attest,  these  deported  persons  held  an  independent  po- 
sition or  were  engaged  in  work  remunerative  enough  to  en- 
able them  to  provide  adequately  for  their  own  wants  and 
those  of  their  dependents.  In  order  to  avoid  discussion 
respecting  certain  certificates  which  mention  a  different  trade 
from  that  carried  on  by  the  holder  before  the  outbreak  of 
hostilities,  I  think  it  necessary  to  inform  your  Excellency 
that  in  consequence  of  the  mobilization  of  our  army,  when 
war  was  declared,  and  the  exodus  of  part  of  our  popula- 
tion, many  workmen  have  for  the  time  being  changed  their 
trade. 

Those  among  our  fellow  countrymen  who  fled  to  Hol- 
land and  only  returned  on  the  assurance  that  they  would 
not  be  molested,  find  themselves  in  a  peculiar  position.  The 
reply  of  the  German  Government  to  the  note  of  the  Neth- 
erlands Government,  dated  November  29th,  19 16,  regard- 
ing the  deportation  of  Belgians,  aims  at  recognizing  the 
exceptional  position  affecting  a  considerable  number  of  the 
people  of  my  diocese.  We  have,  therefore,  been  satisfied 
with  proving  their  presence  in  Holland  in  19 14. 

The  forms  have  been  filled  in  by  the  parochial  clergy 
themselves,  or  under  their  instructions,  and  countersigned 
by  the  mayors  of  the  communes. 

To  facilitate  the  work  of  your  Excellency's  officials,  we 
have  forwarded  them  to  you  in  duplicate,  together  with 
the  attestations  attached  thereto.    They  are  classified  ac- 


338  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


cording  to  communes,  grouped  by  deaneries  and  arranged 
in  alphabetical  order. 

Today  I  am  handing  your  Excellency  a  first  list  contain- 
ing in  duplicate  698  forms  affecting  the  inhabitants  of  the 
deaneries  of  Contich,  Diest,  Jodoigne  and  Orp-le-Grand. 

I  sincerely  hope  that,  as  the  result  of  your  Excellency's 
kind  offices,  698  exiles  will  soon  be  restored  to  their  af- 
flicted families. 

Accept,  sir,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  petitions  on  behalf  of  the  unemployed  deported  to 
Germany  were  sent  in  rapid  succession.  On  January  29th, 
19 1 7,  the  Cardinal  forwarded  to  the  Governor  General  325 
petitions  for  repatriation;  on  February  1st,  530;  February 
7th,  515;  February  15th,  516;  February  17th,  593;  Febru- 
ary 26th,  563  ;  March  5th,  408,  and  May  21st  and  22d,  65. 

The  archives  of  the  archbishop's  house  contain  one  soli- 
tary reply  from  the  Governor  General  to  these  various  let- 
ters, as  follows  : 

Government  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 

February  nth,  19 17. 
To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

I  have  the  honor  to  inform  your  Eminence  in  reply  to 
your  esteemed  letter  of  the  7th  inst,  that  the  petitions  ask- 
ing for  the  repatriation  of  Belgians  deported  to  Germany 
as  unemployed  will  be  submitted  to  the  competent  German 
authorities. 

Authority  to  return  to  Belgium  will  be  granted  to  those 
who  can  prove  that  they  have  been  unjustly  deported. 

I  present  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Lieutenant  General. 

As  the  communal  authorities  declined  to  hand  in  the  list 
of  unemployed,  the  occupying  power,  to  compass  its  end, 
resorted  to  an  indirect  expedient.   It  summoned  to  the  "mel- 


DEPORTATION  OF  UNEMPLOYED  339 


deamt"  all  persons  occupying  an  independent  position  as 
well  as  men  actually  in  work.  A  special  stamp  had  to  be 
affixed  to  their  identity  card,  certifying  that  they  were  not 
unemployed  and  were  exempt  from  deportation.  All  those 
whose  identity  card  was  not  furnished  with  this  stamp  were 
to  be  regarded  as  out  of  work  and  taken  to  Germany. 

A  body  of  nineteen  Malines  priests,  at  the  head  of  which 
was  Canon  Vranken,  the  Cardinal's  secretary,  refused  to 
lend  their  co-operation  to  this  scheme  and  addressed  the  fol- 
lowing letter  to  the  Kreischef  : 

Malines,  December  24th,  19 16. 
To  the  Colonel  Pohlmann,  Kreischef  of  Malines. 

We  the  undersigned  members  of  the  Malines  clergy 
have  reason  to  believe  that  our  summons  to  the  "meldeamt" 
on  Wednesday  next,  27th  inst.,  is  occasioned  by  our  non- 
appearance at  the  general  convocation  on  Friday,  8th  inst. 

We  have  the  honor  to  inform  you  that  our  attitude  had 
been  maturely  considered  and  was  dictated  by  conscientious 
motives.  It  is  impossible  for  us  to  co-operate  in  a  line  of 
action  which  is  an  infringement  of  the  primary  rights  of 
our  workingmen  and  adverse  to  their  best  interests. 

Receive,  sir,  the  expression  of  our  sincere  esteem. 

The  Governor  General  inflicted  a  fine  of  100  marks  on 
each  of  the  signatories  of  this  letter,  and  Baron  von  der 
Lancken  was  instructed  to  advise  the  Cardinal  to  that  effect. 

Political  Department  of  the  Government  General  of  Bel- 
gium, Brussels, 
I.  918.  January  2$th,  1917. 

To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  Governor  General  has  directed  me  to  inform  your 
Eminence  of  the  following  facts:  To  enable  him  to  select 
those  of  the  unemployed  who  are  to  be  deported  from  Ma- 
lines and  to  facilitate  the  investigation  of  each  individual 
case,  the  Kreischef  summoned  various  classes  of  persons  to 
the  Meldeamt,  each  one  on  a  different  day  during  the  month 
of  December,  and  among  these  were  included  ecclesiastics. 
Everybody  enjoying  immunity  from  deportation  was  re- 


340  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


quired — as  has  been  expressly  stated  in  a  public  notice — to 
have  his  identity  card  stamped  in  a  special  way  at  the 
Meldeamt.  The  said  notice  further  stated  that  any  one 
hindered  from  appearing  in  person  could  be  represented  by 
another  on  reasons  for  his  nonappearance  being  given.  The 
priests  in  question  could  doubtless  have  availed  themselves 
of  this  regulation,  but  they  preferred  to  absent  themselves 
from  the  bureau  and  did  not  appear  on  a  second  date  as- 
signed to  them.  These  priests  afterward  sent  to  the  Kreis- 
chef  a  letter,  in  which  they  declared  that  their  attitude  in 
not  answering  the  summons  had  been  dictated  by  their  un- 
willingness to  co-operate  in  the  measures  adopted  against 
the  unemployed.  As,  according  to  the  wording  of  the  notice 
posted  up,  the  question  of  the  co-operation  of  priests  did 
not  arise,  the  motives  assigned  were  not  admissible,  conse- 
quently the  Kreischef  had  to  acknowledge  that  the  priests 
by  their  nonappearance  had  contravened  his  orders,  and  by 
sentence  of  the  Governor  General  each  of  them  was  mulcted 
in  a  fine  of  100  marks. 

The  Governor  General  deems  it  fitting  to  inform  your 
Eminence  of  these  facts.  His  Excellency  cannot  but  perceive 
an  open  contradiction  between  the  priests'  declaration  signed 
in  the  first  place  by  Canon  Vranken  and  the  proposal  made 
by  your  Eminence  to  seek  the  advice  of  the  priests  in  the 
selection  of  the  unemployed.  In  your  letter  of  November 
29th,  your  Eminence  said:  "Priests  who  know  the  common 
people  better  than  any  one  else  would  render  valuable  as- 
sistance in  making  these  inquiries.  Why  is  this  aid  re- 
fused ?"  Taking  into  consideration  these  words  of  your 
Eminence,  the  Governor  General  finds  their  refusal  to  obey 
the  Kreischef's  formal  order  altogether  inexplicable  and 
therefore  regrets  his  inability  to  remit  the  fine  imposed  upon 
them. 

I  offer  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere  es- 
teem and  I  am  yours  devotedly, 

(Signed)  Lancken. 

The  Cardinal  merely  acknowledged  the  receipt  of  this 
letter  of  January  28th  from  Baron  von  der  Lancken.  He 


DEPORTATION  OF  UNEMPLOYED  341 


replied  to  the  interim  Governor  General  of  Belgium,  Baron 
yon  Huene,  upholding  the  conduct  of  his  priests  and  point- 
ing out  how  odious  were  the  steps  taken  against  them  by 
the  Governor  General. 

Archbishop's  House,  Matines, 

January  31st,  19 17. 
To  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Chief  of  the  Political  Depart- 
ment of  the  Governor  General  of  Belgium. 
I  have  received  the  dispatch  of  January  28th  you  were 
good  enough  to  send  me  on  behalf  of  the  Governor  General. 

The  answer  herewith  inclosed  which  I  have  the  honor 
to  address  to  his  Excellency  deals  with  such  delicate  ques- 
tions that  it  appears  to  me  more  judicious  to  write  to  him 
directly  on  the  subject. 

Receive,  sir,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 
(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Archbishop's  House,  Malines, 

January  31st,  19 17. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Huene,  interim  Governor 
General  of  Belgium,  Brussels. 
Your  Excellency  intrusted  to  the  chief  of  your  political 
department,  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  the  task  of  writing  me 
to  the  effect  that  you  fail  to  understand  the  attitude  of  the 
Malines  clergy  who  deemed  it  their  conscientious  duty  to 
decline  the  offer  of  having  their  identity  card  stamped. 

It  seems  to  you  that  this  attitude  is  out  of  harmony  with 
this  passage  in  my  letter  of  November  29th,  19 16  :  "Priests 
who  know  the  common  people  better  than  any  one  else  would 
render  the  recruiters  valuable  assistance.  Why  is  their  aid 
refused?" 

The  military  government  has  sentenced  each  of  these 
ecclesiastics  to  a  fine  of  100  marks,  and  your  Excellency  de- 
clares that  to  your  regret  you  cannot  but  ratify  the  sentence. 

The  action  of  the  clergy  of  Malines  was  taken  with  full 
deliberation  just  as  your  Excellency  supposes,  and  their  rea- 
sons for  thus  acting  were  given  in  writing  to  the  Kreischef. 
That  the  intentions  of  this  gentleman  were  well  meaning  in 


342  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


the  case  of  certain  ranks  of  society,  I  do  not  doubt,  but  his 
method  of  procedure,  though  welcome  to  the  middle  class, 
was  a  menace  to  the  working  classes.  In  order  to  organize 
more  methodically  and  more  surely  the  calling  up  of  a  part 
of  the  Belgian  people  destined  to  serve  by  fair  means  or 
foul  the  economic  interests  of  the  enemy,  and  therefore  in- 
directly military  interests,  the  occupying  power  ordered  the 
communal  authorities  to  draw  up  a  list  of  the  unemployed. 
Most  of  the  magistrates  of  Belgian  communes,  fully  realiz- 
ing that  they  were  intrusted  with  the  duty  of  safeguarding 
national  integrity,  refused  to  furnish  under  the  heading 
"unemployed"  a  list  of  free  citizens  destined  to  be  trans- 
formed the  next  day  into  a  list  of  prescribed  ones. 

Checked  by  this  refusal,  the  military  authorities  resorted 
to  a  roundabout  way.  The  "unemployed"  not  being  reg- 
istered, their  only  remaining  resource  was  to  register  those 
who  were  "employed."  What  could  not  be  obtained  by 
direct  means,  it  was  sought  to  procure  by  an  indirect  ma- 
neuver, viz.  :  by  graciously  offering  a  stamp  to  those  whom 
they  wanted  to  spare  and  thus  by  a  process  of  subtraction 
to  secure  a  list  of  unemployed  who  were  to  be  deported. 

After  the  threat  addressed  to  the  burgomasters  came 
the  bait  offered  to  the  burghers.  The  two  attempts  made 
by  the  military  authorities  had  the  same  end  in  view:  namely, 
to  bring  Belgians  to  co-operate  in  organizing  the  deportation 
of  their  fellow-countrymen.  Both  were  to  have  the  same 
result,  viz.,  the  snatching  from  their  homes  of  a  class  of 
citizens  as  innocent  and  as  free  as  any  other  Belgians  and 
to  force  them  into  exile  and  to  work  for  the  enemy.  The 
fact  that  all  those  hoping  to  reap  some  advantage  from  the 
possession  of  a  stamped  card  did  not  suspect  the  presence 
of  a  hook  concealed  in  the  bait  can  be  readily  conceived. 
The  fact  that  men  of  the  world  with  family  interests  confided 
to  their  charge  did  not  fully  realize  all  that  their  feelings 
of  national  solidarity  demanded  is  not  to  be  used  as  a  griev- 
ance against  them;  but  the  priest  with  whom  temporal  in- 
terests are  as  nothing  compared  with  those  that  are  eternal, 
the  priest  who  in  his  capacity  of  preacher  of  the  gospel  and 
official  representative  of  the  Christian  law  would  blush  with 


DEPORTATION  OF  UNEMPLOYED  343 


shame  if  he  failed  in  his  personal  conduct  to  act  in  con- 
formity with  its  loftiest  teachings,  the  priest,  protector  of 
the  weakest,  has,  arising  out  of  his  moral  obligations,  a 
keener  insight,  thus  enabling  him  to  realize  that  he  would 
be  doing  less  than  his  duty  were  he  not  to  push  fraternal 
devotion  beyond  the  strict  requirements  of  the  common  law. 
These  are  the  lofty  ideals  by  which  the  clergy  of  Malines 
have  been  inspired,  and  of  which  your  Excellency  has  had 
a  glimpse  in  the  letter  addressed  to  the  Kreischef  on  De- 
cember 24th  last. 

That  is  why  I  wrote  to  Baron  von  Bissing  in  my  letter 
of  November  29th:  "It  would  be  iniquitous  to  let  deporta- 
tion press  hard  on  the  working  classes  only.  In  the  sacrifice 
imposed  by  the  occupying  power — cruel  though  it  be — and 
precisely  because  it  is  cruel — the  middle  class  ought  also  to 
share.  A  large  number  of  my  clergy  have  implored  me  to 
claim  for  them  a  place  in  the  vanguard  of  the  persecuted. 
I  wish  to  place  their  offer  on  record  and  proudly  submit  it 
to  you." 

The  lines  your  Excellency  quotes  from  that  same  letter 
of  November  29th  are  in  harmony  with  the  attitude  adopted 
by  the  Malines  clergy  as  well  as  with  all  my  correspondence 
dealing  with  the  deportations. 

In  my  letters  of  October  19th  and  November  10th  and 
also  in  most  of  mine  of  November  29th,  I  made  a  protest 
with  all  the  energy  of  which  I  was  capable  and  with  which 
the  love  of  justive  and  charity  had  inspired  me,  against  the 
kidnapping  of  thousands  of  our  countrymen.  Nevertheless, 
fearing  that  the  military  authorities  would  remain  deaf  to 
these  protests,  I  added  to  my  entreaties  this  very  natural 
thought:  "If,  however,  you  should  prove  obstinate  in  injus- 
tice, allow  at  least  our  priests  to  lessen  the  evil  your  acts 
of  violence  are  inflicting  on  our  people;  accept  our  co-opera- 
tion to  save  what,  according  to  your  own  instructions,  iniqui- 
tous though  they  be,  can  still  be  saved. "  But  this  you  would 
not  have.  You  have  withheld  your  line  of  action  from  the 
control  of  those  who,  by  their  social  vocation  and  their 
daily  contact  with  the  lower  classes,  are  best  qualified  to  ex- 
ercise it.    You  signified  to  me  personally  that  I  was  not  to 


344  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


offer  a  single  word  of  comfort  to  those  about  to  leave. 
Forced  to  submit  to  your  military  regulations,  I  respected 
the  order. 

But  there  is  a  barrier  before  which  military  force  is  held 
up  and  behind  which  is  intrenched  inviolate  right.  On  this 
side  of  the  barrier,  it  is  we,  the  representatives  of  moral 
authority,  who  speak  as  masters.  We  cannot  and  will  not 
let  the  Word  of  God  be  shackled. 

The  military  Governor  has  had  the  effrontery  to  fine 
nineteen  priests  100  marks  each  for  having  declined  from 
conscientious  motives  to  avail  themselves  of  a  privilege  ex- 
tended to  them.  So  be  it.  They  will  pay  the  100  marks 
out  of  their  modest  salaries,  or  if  unable  to  meet  this  de- 
mand, they  will  perhaps  satisfy  you  at  the  expense  of  their 
liberty.  Very  well,  so  be  it  once  more.  I  know  the  spirit 
of  our  priests  well  enough  to  foresee  that  they  will  be  pa- 
tient all  the  same.  They  will  drink  to  the  dregs  the  cup  of 
bitterness  held  forcibly  by  you  to  the  lips  of  a  people  which 
has  never  wished  you  anything  but  good. 

We  will  wait  in  patience  for  the  day  of  retaliation,  not 
retaliation  on  this  earth,  however;  that  we  have  already, 
for  the  occupation  regime  you  have  forced  upon  us  is  ab- 
horred by  everybody  in  the  world  who  has  any  sense  of 
honor.  I  speak  of  the  verdict  of  history;  I  speak  of  the 
inevitable  judgment  of  the  God  of  Justice.  To  yourself, 
who  are,  if  I  am  credibly  informed,  equally  with  the  hum- 
blest of  our  workmen  a  son  of  the  Church  of  God,  I  ven- 
ture to  add  you  are  burdening  your  conscience  with  a  heavy 
weight,  in  sheltering  behind  your  high  authority  an  act  of 
martial  law  which  treats  as  a  crime  an  act  of  Christian  and 
pastoral  abnegation. 

Accept  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Acting  on  the  advice  of  the  Marquis  de  Villalobar,  the 
Spanish  Minister  in  Brussels,  a  number  of  prominent  Bel- 
gians, animated  by  a  desire  to  exhaust  every  possible  means 
to  put  an  end  to  the  deportations,  had  recourse  to  a  direct 


DEPORTATION  OF  UNEMPLOYED  345 


appeal  to  the  Emperor.  On  Sunday,  February  nth,  the 
Spanish  minister  and  M.  Levie,  minister  of  state,  repaired 
to  the  Archbishop's  house  to  acquaint  the  Cardinal  with 
their  plan  and  to  ask  him  to  join  hands  with  them.  The 
interview  resulted  in  an  agreement  that  the  Cardinal  should 
draw  up  the  appeal  and  that  M.  Levie  should  be  commis- 
sioned to  gather  the  signatures. 

On  Wednesday  a  copy  of  the  document  was  handed  to 
the  Spanish  Minister.  He  in  turn  passed  it  on  to  Baron  von 
der  Lancken,  who  at  once  dispatched  it  to  Berlin.  On 
Thursday,  the  15th,  M.  Levie,  Baron  de  Favereau,  and 
Prince  de  Ligne,  on  the  introduction  of  the  Marquis  de 
Villalobar,  handed  the  appeal  officially  to  Baron  von  der 
Lancken,  who  was  shortly  to  leave  for  Berlin.  The  chief 
of  the  political  department  promised  his  active  support,  as 
well  as  that  of  the  Governor  General,  in  order  to  obtain 
from  the  Emperor  the  favorable  answer  to  the  appeal. 

The  text  of  the  petition  runs  as  follows  : 

Imperial  Majesty. 

The  signatories  of  this  appeal  with  heavy  hearts  have 
seen  and  still  see  every  day  thousands  of  their  brethren  torn 
from  their  families  and  dragged  forcibly  into  exile,  where 
they  are  compelled  to  choose  between  starvation  and  work 
which  offends  their  dignity  as  patriots.  The  representatives 
of  the  various  public  bodies  in  Belgium,  ministers  of  state, 
the  hierarchy,  members  of  Parliament,  the  magistracy  and 
the  bar,  commercial  and  industrial  magnates,  trade  unions 
and  workmen's  societies,  have  raised  their  voices  on  behalf 
of  their  countrymen  and  have  brought  to  the  notice  of  the 
General  Government  with  that  candor  which  is  the  mark 
of  a  free  people,  the  deep  distress  of  the  nation,  the  causes 
that  have  brought  it  about,  those  that  foster  it  and  those  that 
day  by  day  augment  it. 

If  your  Majesty  has  leisure  to  peruse  these  documents 
and  will  deign  to  verify  the  grounds  on  which  they  rest,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that  you  will  be  inclined  to  do  us  justice. 
You  can  hardly  imagine  the  wave  of  indignation  which 
would  pass  over  your  empire  if  ever  your  own  subjects  were 


346   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


unreasonably  expatriated  and  coerced  into  consolidating  by 
their  work  a  foreign  domination. 

Your  Imperial  Majesty  prides  yourself  on  your  loyalty 
to  your  faith.  May  we  not  then  be  allowed  to  remind  you 
of  the  simple  and  yet  striking  words  of  the  Gospel,  "Do 
unto  others  that  which  you  would  have  done  to  yourself"  ? 

The  Emperor  of  Germany  will  understand  how  repug- 
nant to  our  national  amour-propre  is  soliciting  as  a  favor 
what  in  normal  times  we  could  justly  claim  as  a  right. 

But  the  life  and  liberty  of  a  great  number  of  our  fellow 
citizens,  whom  we  love  as  brethren,  is  at  stake.  We  have 
had  the  courage  to  stifle  every  other  feeling  in  our  breasts 
but  that  of  brotherhood.  We  venture  to  hope  that  your 
Majesty  will  be  guided  by  but  one  sentiment — that  of  hu- 
manity. 

The  undersigned,  representing  the  religious,  political 
and  judicial,  economic  and  social  authorities  of  the  Belgian 
people,  hope  that  your  Majesty  will  give  the  necessary  or- 
ders to  cease  deporting  Belgian  workmen  and  to  repatriate 
those  who  have  been  driven  into  exile. 

They  offer  to  your  Majesty  their  respectful  homage. 

Brussels,  February  14,  19 17. 

Signatories  : 

Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines,  Primate  of  Bel- 
gium. 

Ministers  of  State — Viscount  de  Lantsheere,  Baron  de 
Favereau,  J.  Devolder,  Count  Woeste. 

Relief  and  Victualing  Committee — M.  Ernest  Solway,  presi- 
dent. 

Senate — Baron  de  Favereau,  president;  Baron  d'Huart,  sec- 
retary; Viscount  de  Jonghe  d'Ardoye,  quaestor;  Alex- 
ander Braun,  Max  Hallet,  Prosper  Hanrez,  Em.  Vinck. 

Chamber  of  Representatives — Alphonse  Harmignies,  vice 
president;  Mansart,  secretary;  Xavier  de  Bue,  quaes- 
tor; Bertrand,  Michel,  Levie,  Paul  Van  Hoedgarden, 
du  Bus  de  Warnaffe,  Fulgence  Masson  Wauters, 
Franck,  Emile  Tibbaut,  P.  Wauwermans. 

Court  of  Appeal — Eug.  Dupont,  first  president;  Georges 
Terlinden,  procurator  general. 


DEPORTATION  OF  UNEMPLOYED  347 


The  Bar — Edmond  Picard,  bâtonnier  de  cassation;  H. 

Botson,  bâtonnier  d'appel. 
National  Bank  of  Belgium — L.  van  der  Rest,  vice  governor. 
Society  General  of  Belgium — Jean  Jadot,  governor. 
Prince  de  Ligne. 

Count  Jean  de  Merode,  Grand  Marshal  of  the  Court. 
Count  John  d'Oultremont,  Honorary  Grand  Marshal. 
Baron  Hermann  de  Woelmont,  Grand  Master  of  the 

Household. 
Count  Leo  d'Ursel. 
Count  Jacques  de  Liedekerke. 
Viscount  de  Parc. 

Baron  Goffinet,  Grand  Master  of  the  Household  of  Her 
Imperial  Majesty  the  Empress  Charlotte. 

A  copy  of  the  appeal  to  the  Emperor,  to  which  was  ap- 
pended certain  documentary  evidence  consisting  of  reports, 
statistics,  etc.,  was  handed  in  to  the  Governor  General,  to- 
gether with  the  following  letter: 

Brussels,  February  14th,  19 17. 

The  undersigned  have  had  the  honor  to  address  to  his 
Majesty  the  Emperor  of  Germany  an  appeal,  a  copy  of 
which  is  annexed  to  the  present  letter. 

They  did  not  deem  it  necessary  to  join  to  this  document 
the  evidence  inclosed  herewith,  which  in  their  opinion  sup- 
ports it.  But  they  desire  that  this  evidence  should  be  in  the 
hands  of  your  Excellency  in  order  that  you  may,  if  you  judge 
opportune,  or  if  his  Majesty  expresses  the  desire  to  have  it 
laid  before  him,  to  communicate  it  to  him. 

Accept,  sir,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(This  letter  was  signed  by  the  same  persons  as  the  peti- 
tion to  the  Emperor.) 

On  March  9  Baron  von  der  Lancken  transmitted 
orally  to  Baron  de  Favereau,  President  of  the  Senate,  the 
answer  given  by  the  Emperor  to  the  petition  of  the  Belgian 
notables.  He  declared  that  his  Majesty  had  decided  to 
have  minutely  examined  the  demands  contained  in  the  appeal 
addressed  to  him,  reserving  to  himself  the  giving  of  a  defi- 


348  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


nite  decision.  Meanwhile  he  had  given  orders  to  send  back 
to  Belgium  persons  deported  by  mistake  as  unemployed  and 
to  suspend  till  further  orders  the  transfer  into  Germany 
of  Belgians  unemployed. 

The  deportations  ceased  after  this  and  little  by  little  the 
unhappy  men,  who  had  been  taken  away  by  force  into  Ger- 
many, were  able  to  return  to  their  country.  The  lamentable 
condition  in  which  they  were  found  on  their  return  proved 
to  the  hilt  what  privations  and  sufferings  they  had  gone 
through.  A  large  number,  exhausted  by  the  hardships  in- 
flicted on  them  in  forcing  them  to  work,  had  to  be  looked 
after  in  the  hospitals.  The  Cardinal  made  his  voice  heard 
once  again  in  favor  of  these  victims  of  German  barbarity 
in  a  letter  addresed  to  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  in  which 
he  pleaded  the  cause  of  various  condemned  persons. 

Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

April  2%th,  1917. 

To  Baron  von  der  Lancken. 

Dear  Baron — M.  Merjay,  residing  at  161  Rue  de  Cul- 
ture, Brussels,  son  of  Lieutenant  General  Merjay,  has  just 
been  condemned  to  death  by  Charleroi  tribunal.  Since  the 
war  began  he  had  lost  his  wife,  one  of  his  sons  had  fallen 
in  battle,  another  had  become  prisoner.  The  Merjay  fam- 
ily is  eminently  honorable  and  Christian.  The  new  Gov- 
ernor General  *  would  bring  honor  on  himself  by  using  clem- 
ency toward  the  condemned  man. 

You  will  perhaps  remember  that  last  January  you  gave 
me  hope  of  the  release  of  the  Dean  of  Orp-le-grand,  M. 
Herman,  who  then  had  undergone  half  his  sentence.  The 
month  of  May  will  soon  be  here  and  the  poor  dean  t  is 
still  in  his  cell  at  Siegburg.  He  has  already  completed 
nearly  a  year  and  a  half  of  his  sentence.  Cannot  his  last 
six  months  be  remitted? 

It  is  a  traditional  practice  for  the  Archbishop  to  conse- 
crate his  Suffragans.    Thus  I  was  invited  to  consecrate  the 

♦Baron  von  Falkenhausen  had  succeeded  in  the  capacity  of  Governor 
General  Baron  von  Bissing,  who  died  April  18th,  1917. 

t  M.  Herman  had  been  condemned  for  having  helped  young  men  to 
cross  the  frontier. 


DEPORTATION  OF  UNEMPLOYED  349 


new  Bishop  of  Ghent  on  Tuesday,  May  1,  and  joyfully  ac- 
cepted the  invitation.  And  now  a  pass  to  Ghent  is  re- 
fused, though  I  had  in  my  request  for  a  permit  indicated  the 
whole  of  my  itinerary.  But  all  these  personal  grievances 
I  put  up  with  without  protest. 

In  return,  may  we  not  hope  that  the  German  authorities 
will  lean  more  toward  clemency?  Will  you  not  use  your 
influence  to  bring  them  to  this  way  of  acting?  I  deem  it 
my  duty  to  remind  you  of  the  delays  made  in  repatriating 
our  workmen;  of  the  lamentable  condition  in  which  they  re- 
turn to  us — a  clear  evidence  of  the  treatment  they  have 
undergone.  The  war  will  not  last  forever.  You  who  see 
things  from  a  broader  point  of  view  than  the  militarists 
should  make  them  understand  that  they  can  have  no  interest 
in  arousing  against  them  the  indignation  of  all  right-thinking 
men  on  the  day  conditions  of  peace  are  discussed. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

In  his  reply  to  the  preceding  letter,  Baron  von  der 
Lancken  examined  the  different  cases  mentioned  therein,  but 
passed  over  in  complete  silence  the  Cardinal's  protest 
against  the  manner  in  which  the  repatriation  of  the  deported 
was  carried  out. 

Political  Department  of  the  Government  General  of  Bel- 
gium, Brussels.  May  1st,  19 17. 

To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

I  have  duly  received  your  esteemed  letter,  dated  April 
28th.  I  have  the  pleasure  to  be  able  to  answer  your  Emi- 
nence that  a  few  days  ago  the  Cure  Herman,  of  Orp-le- 
grand,  received  a  remission  of  the  rest  of  his  sentence.  The 
case  of  the  Abbe  Allaer  has  not  yet  been  settled,  but  I  have 
every  reason  to  expect  a  satisfactory  solution.* 

As  regards  the  Merjay  case,  I  have  not  yet  been  able 

*The  Abbe  Allaer  had  been  sentenced  to  eight  months'  imprisonment 
for  having  helped  Monsignor  Legraive  in  showing  hospitality  to  a  French- 
man on  his  way  to  the  frontier. 


35o   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


to  take  any  steps,  owing  to  the  change  of  Governor  General. 
The  illness  and  death  of  Baron  von  Bissing  have  not  al- 
lowed me  till  now  to  attend  to  the  favor  you  ask  for  in  your 
letter  of  April  12th  on  behalf  of  Burgomaster  Dessain.  I 
must  confess  that  it  will  be  very  hard  to  obtain  authoriza- 
tion for  him  to  go  to  Switzerland.  In  cases  of  this  kind 
which  have  occurred  before,  the  released  prisoners,  espe- 
cially Bâtonnier  Theodor,  took  up  on  foreign  soil  an  atti- 
tude which  was  not  of  a  kind  to  encourage  the  German 
authorities  to  continue  in  this  course. 

Your  Eminence  also  makes  the  remark  that  you  were 
unable  to  assist  at  the  consecration  of  the  new  Bishop  of 
Ghent.  The  responsibility  for  this  must  not  be  laid  to  the 
charge  of  the  German  authorities.  For  my  part,  I  would 
have  done  all  I  could  to  facilitate  the  journey  to  Ghent  both 
for  your  Eminence  and  for  the  Bishops  of  Liège  and  Na- 
mur.  For  this  it  would  have  been  needful  to  put  off  the 
consecration  for  a  few  days.  As,  however,  the  new  Bishop 
pleaded  urgency  and  declared  that  he  would  be  satisfied  with 
the  presence  of  Bishops  living  close  at  hand  in  the  war  zone, 
it  was  not  possible  to  give  effect  to  the  reasons  brought  for- 
ward by  your  Eminence  to  justify  your  presence  at  the  con- 
secration, nor  to  obtain  the  traveling  permit  asked  for,  in 
view  of  the  more  stringent  regulations  which  had  been  lately 
adopted. 

(Signed)  Lancken. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 


BARON  VON  DER  LANCKEN  AGAIN  ACCUSES  CERTAIN  PRIESTS 
OF  HAVING  MISUSED  THEIR  OFFICE  OF  PREACHING 

Political  Department,  Government  General  of  Belgium, 

Brussels.  November  377/,  1916. 

To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

I  must  again  thank  your  Eminence  for  the  trouble  you 
have  taken  to  make  certain  modifications  in  the  text  of  your 
pastoral,  prior  to  its  being  read  in  the  churches.  To  prove 
how  right  we  were  in  regarding  certain  passages  as  dan- 
gerous, I  think  it  enough  to  quote  the  following  instance: 
At  Brussels  a  Capuchin  father  added  to  the  passage  refer- 
ring to  the  independence  of  Belgium  certain  comments,  which 
your  Eminence  manifestly  did  not  anticipate.  He  said: 
"England  has  again  guaranteed  our  independence. " 

I  would  again  beg  your  Eminence  to  direct  your  particu- 
lar attention  to  what  is  going  on  at  the  Grotto  of  Lourdes, 
at  Laeken.  True,  these  sermons  contain  no  direct  attack 
on  the  occupying  power,  but  preachers  often  choose  topics, 
such  as,  e.  g.,  "Joshua  and  the  300  Warriors,"  which  prove 
beyond  doubt  their  intention  to  poison  the  minds  of  their 
hearers  against  Germany.  Such  proceedings  are  bound  to 
have  consequences.  I  think  that  your  Eminence  could  pre- 
vent by  a  simple  admonition  the  deplorable  results  of  this 
course  of  action. 

As  a  sequel  to  information  received  by  us,  an  inquiry 
was  set  on  foot  about  certain  reprehensible  remarks  made 
in  the  church  of  Cureghem  by  the  curate  Egidius  Davidts. 
By  order  of  the  Governor  General  the  inquiry  was  sus- 
pended, but  his  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing  would  be 
grateful  to  your  Eminence  if  you  were  to  call  the  curate  to 
order  in  accordance  with  ecclesiastical  law. 


351 


352  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Lastly,  I  should  like  to  communicate  the  following  to 
your  Eminence:  A  proposal  was  made  to  the  Governor 
General  to  limit  the  number  of  candles  used  on  the  occasion 
of  the  feast  of  All  Saints,  owing  to  a  lack  of  material  used 
in  their  manufacture.  The  Governor  General  is  loth  to 
meddle  in  religious  matters.  In  view  of  the  scarcity  of  wax 
he  leaves  your  Eminence  to  take  whatever  steps  the  inter- 
ests of  public  worship  may  require. 

I  believe  that  the  Viaene  case  has  been  settled  according 
to  your  wishes.  The  judicial  formalities  to  be  gone  through 
in  a  case  of  this  kind,  the  collecting  of  all  the  documents, 
etc.  .  .  .  always  take  up  some  time,  in  consequence  of  the 
press  of  work  at  the  offices  where  these  matters  are  dealt 
with. 

I  offer  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)  Lancken. 

His  Eminence  answered  the  accusations  of  the  chief  of 
the  political  department  by  putting  him  on  his  guard  against 
arbitrary  interpretations  place'd  on  words  used  in  the  pulpit. 
Baron  von  der  Lancken  had  at  the  beginning  of  his  letter 
thanked  the  Cardinal  for  making  some  slight  modifications 
in  the  pastoral,  "The  Voice  of  God."  The  Cardinal  an- 
swered, as  he  already  had  done  in  his  recent  interview  with 
him  about  this  matter,  that  this  spontaneous  concession  could 
not  be  looked  upon  as  an  acknowledgment  of  the  occupying 
Power's  right  to  censor  any  document  issued  by  him  as 
Bishop. 

.  Archbishop* s  House,  Malines, 

November  $thy  1916. 
To  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Chief  of  the  Political  Depart- 
ment, Government  General,  Brussels. 
Dear  Baron — I  have  duly  received  your  esteemed  letter 
I.  10387,  dated  November  3rd,  for  which  I  thank  you. 

I  will  set  on  foot  without  delay  an  inquiry  into  what 
happened  out  of  the  ordinary  in  the  churches  of  Cureghem, 
Laeken  (Lourdes  Grotto)  and  in  that  of  the  Capuchin  Fa- 


LANCKEN  ACCUSES  BELGIAN  PRIESTS  353 


thers  at  Brussels.  On  my  side,  let  me  ask  you  again  to  be 
wary  of  arbitrary  interpretations  of  words  uttered  by 
preachers.  Thus  the  alleged  words  attributed  to  a  Capuchin 
Father,  quoted  in  your  letter,  ''England  has  guaranteed 
Belgium's  independence,"  are  they  not  capable  of  an  inno- 
cent interpretation  and  is  not  that  one  which  we  ought  to 
adopt?  I  have  not  as  yet  been  able  to  get  information  as 
to  the  sermon  you  complain  about,  but  I  understand  very 
well  that  one  might  say — precisely  to  avoid  what  on  another 
occasion  you  called  a  prophecy — we  have  a  sure  guarantee, 
given  us  by  the  treaty  of  London,  that  European  peace  will 
not  be  concluded  so  long  as  Belgium  has  not  recovered  her 
independence. 

I  do  not  regret  having  suppressed  the  three  passages  of 
my  pastoral  which  have  particularly  offended  the  Governor 
General,  though  without  reason  in  my  opinion.  I  suppressed 
them  willingly  because  you  were  kind  enough  to  declare 
that  you  put  no  obligation  upon  me.  I  wished  to  prove  to 
you  thereby  not  only  that  I  am  anxious  to  spare  those  trouble 
who  devote  themselves  to  my  service,  but  also  that  I  know 
when  my  conscience  allows  me  how  to  sacrifice  my  own 
personal  views  in  order  to  avoid  a  dispute. 

To  safeguard  the  rights  of  my  conscience  I  made  a 
great  point  of  telling  you  that  my  free  concession  was  not 
to  be  interpreted  as  the  acknowledgment  of  a  right  of  the 
occupying  Power  to  watch  over  or  censor  my  Episcopal  acts 
or  writings. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 


NATIONAL  CELEBRATIONS  IN  THE  CHURCHES 

On  November  15th,  the  King's  name-day,  a  high  mass, 
followed  by  the  Te  Deum,  was  sung  in  several  churches, 
among  others  at  St.  Gudule,  and  at  St.  Jacques-sur-Couden- 
berg.  On  the  pretext  that  some  members  of  the  congre- 
gation had,  on  coming  out  of  the  church,  sung  the  "Braban* 
conne,"  and  raised  shouts  of  "Long  live  the  King,"  "Bel- 
gium forever,"  "Liberty  forever!"  the  town  of  Brussels 
was  punished  by  General  Hurt,  Governor  of  Brussels  and 
Brabant.  According  to  an  order  dated  November  20,  all 
public  establishments  were  to  be  closed  at  8  p.  m.  and  the 
inhabitants  were  forbidden  to  frequent  the  streets  between 
8  130  p.  m.  and  4  a.  m.  The  penalty  was  not  abrogated  till 
December  19th. 

On  the  occasion  of  these  incidents,  Baron  von  Bissing 
addressed  to  the  Cardinal  the  following  letter  : 

Government  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 

November  2$th,  19 16. 
To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Your  Eminence  is  aware,  I  suppose,  that  on  the  15th 
inst.  solemn  religious  services  held  in  the  Churches  of  St. 
Gudule  and  St.  Jacques  were  made  an  occasion  for  political 
demonstrations  which  were  afterward  continued  in  the 
streets.  The  Governor  of  Brussels  and  of  Brabant  has  had 
to  punish  the  population  of  Greater  Brussels. 

Your  Eminence  assuredly  cannot  be  blind  to  the  fact  that 
the  principal  cause  of  these  incidents  is  to  be  found  as  usual 
in  the  playing  and  singing  of  the  National  Anthem.  It  is 
inevitable  that  the  enthusiasm  of  the  crowd  should  be  roused 
and  excesses  committed.  Since,  as  a  general  rule,  the  organ 

354 


CELEBRATIONS  IN  CHURCHES  355 


gives  the  signal  for  the  singing,  the  responsibility  of  all  that 
happened  falls  on  the  ecclesiastical  authorities.  Since  dem- 
onstrations of  this  kind  may  lead  to  serious  trouble,  I  can- 
not in  future  adopt  the  same  tolerant  attitude  as  I  have  done 
up  till  now.  I  must  also  mention,  on  this  occasion,  the  use 
of  flags  inside  the  churches.  People  are  no  longer  content 
with  decorating  the  altars  with  flags,  but  they  have  begun 
to  unfurl  and  wave  them.  If  in  the  future  incidents  like 
those  which  have  happened  at  Brussels  are  brought  to  my 
notice,  I  shall  have  to  leave  to  the  judgment  of  your  Emi- 
nence the  advisability  of  celebrating  or  not  solemn  religious 
services  on  anniversary  days. 

I  am  informed  that  more  than  a  year  ago  your  Eminence 
gave  instructions  to  your  clergy  limiting  the  introduction  of 
secular  rites  into  religious  services  to  those  cases  only  pro- 
vided for  by  the  liturgy.  For  the  aforesaid  reasons  I  have 
asked  myself  whether  I  ought  not  to  prohibit  the  playing  or 
the  singing  of  the  National  Anthem  and  other  nonreligious 
melodies,  and  if  I  ought  not  to  restrict  the  use  of  flags  in 
churches  to  memorial  services  held  for  the  fallen  in  battle. 
Before  issuing  any  order  of  the  kind,  I  solicit  your  Emi- 
nence's advice. 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Lieutenant  General. 

The  Cardinal's  answer  is  as  follows  : 

Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

November  29th,  191 6. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — The  letter  I.  11. 3 19,  with  which  your  Excellency 
has  honored  me  under  date  25th  November,  calls  my  atten- 
tion to  "political  demonstrations"  alleged  to  have  taken 
place  in  certain  churches. 

I  have  at  heart  as  much  as  anybody  the  dignity  of  public 
worship  and  respect  for  holy  places.  So  recently  as  last 
Sunday  I  opened  my  address  in  the  Church  of  St.  Gudule 
with  these  words:  "Brethren,  I  beseech  you  earnestly  to 
remain  recollected  in  the  House  of  God,  both  during  and 


356  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


after  the  service. "  My  words  were  heeded.  Neither  by 
gesture  nor  by  word  of  mouth  was  the  decorum  of  the  cere- 
mony disturbed.* 

I  feel  confident  that  the  few  parishes  where  an  abuse 
may  have  crept  in  will  observe  a  similar  recommendation, 
such  as  I  shall  deem  it  my  duty  to  make  them. 

For  my  own  part,  I  beseech  your  Excellency  to  be  on 
your  guard  against  deliberately  or  undeliberately  exagger- 
ated reports  sent  you.  For  instance,  I  do  not  know  whether 
there  be  in  reality  one  or  several  churches  where  the  clergy 
would  indulge  in  flag  waving.  I  have  made  no  inquiry  about 
the  two  cases  of  St.  Gudule  and  St.  Jacques,  the  only  two 
which  your  Excellency's  letter  mentions  by  name.  But  a 
person  of  high  standing,  a  stranger  in  Belgium,  who  assisted 
at  the  religious  service  on  November  15th,  of  his  own  ac- 
cord, informed  me  that  he  was  very  surprised  that  the  Ger- 
man authorities  should  have  used,  in  describing  this  cere- 
mony, the  word  "demonstration." 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Baron  von  der  Lancken,  acting  on  the  order  of  Baron 
von  Bissing,  acknowledged  the  Cardinal's  letter  of  Novem- 
ber 29th  and  called  attention  to  a  new  case,  in  which,  accord- 
ing to  him,  the  Cardinal's  people  had  taken  part  in  a  politi- 
cal demonstration  in  a  Brussels  church. 

Political  Department  of  the  Government  General,  Brussels. 

December  i$th,  19 16. 
To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

His  Excellency  was  pleased  to  hear  that  your  Eminence 
would  make  it  your  duty  to  send  an  admonition  to  the  clergy 
of  those  parishes  where  abuses  have  crept  in. 

Quite  lately  people  have  again  made  a  political  dem- 
onstration in  a  Brussels  church.  In  the  middle  of  the  singing 
a  Belgian  flag  was  unfurled  and  waved  before  the  altar; 

*  On  Sunday,  November  2,  mass  was  said  at  St.  Gudule  for  the  inten- 
tion of  those  deported.  The  Cardinal  made  an  address  in  which  he  in- 
veighed against  the  crime  of  deportation  and  proclaimed  that  violated  right 
remains  right  and  that  injustice  resting  on  might  is  none  the  less  injustice. 


CELEBRATIONS  IN  CHURCHES  357 


then  it  was  carried  all  round  the  church  in  à  End  of  torch- 
light procession.  All  the  time  the  "Brabançonne"  was 
played  on  the  organ  in  a  very  lively  and  ostentatious  way. 

Such  cases  fall  within  the  scope  of  the  orders  which  have 
been  drawn  up  against  political  demonstrations  organized 
in  public  and  consequently  render  those  participating  in  them 
liable  to  legal  proceedings.  It  is  impossible  not  to  hold  the 
cure  responsible  for  any  breaches  of  the  law  in  his  church. 
Your  Eminence  knows  how  distasteful  it  is  to  the  Governor 
to  take  steps  against  priests,  and  he,  therefore,  earnestly 
desires  the  ecclesiastical  authorities  to  take  the  needful  meas- 
ures to  avoid  their  recurrence. 

(Signed)  Lancken. 

The  Cardinal  asked  Von  der  Lancken  for  details  and 
took  advantage  of  this  opportunity  to  intercede  in  favor 
of  some  persons  detained  under  peculiarly  cruel  circum- 
stances. 

Archbishop's  House1,  Malines, 

January  16th,  19 17. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Chief  of  the 
Political  Department,  Government  General,  Brussels. 
Dear  Baron — For  a  long  time  I  have  wanted  to  revert 
to  the  Governor  General's  esteemed  letter,  dated  November 
25th,  19 1 6,  in  which  he  complained  of  certain  demonstra- 
tions, unseemly  beyond  all  reason,  which,  according  to  re- 
ports made  to  him,  took  place  in  several  Brussels  churches. 
In  this  letter  his  Excellency  mentions  the  singing  of  the 
"Brabançonne, "  national  flags  being  unfurled  and  waved, 
and  other  secular  melodies  rendered  in  church,  etc.  He  in- 
vited me  to  prohibit  them,  to  save  him  the  trouble  of  for- 
bidding them  himself.  I  have  received  information  from 
reliable  sources  and  have  not  succeeded  in  finding  a  single 
church,  either  in  Brussels  itself  or  in  the  surrounding  dis- 
trict, where  the  above-mentioned  abuses  are  or  were  preva- 
lent. I  am  aware  that  Baron  von  Bissing  is  absent  and  that 
is  the  reason  why  I  have  put  off  till  now  the  present  corre- 
spondence; but  possibly  he  took  you  into  his  confidence  be- 


358  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


fore  leaving  and  you  would  therefore  be  in  a  position  to 
specify  the  churches  he  had  in  view. 

I  embrace  this  opportunity  of  bringing  to  your  notice 
certain  events  you  are  interested  in,  or  in  which  you  would 
be  perhaps  willing  to  interest  yourself. 

The  chaplain  of  Luttringhausen  prison  induced  Canon 
Loncin  to  petition  for  the  remission  of  the  last  three  months 
of  his  sentence;  Canon  Loncin  writes  to  his  family  that  his 
appeal  has  been  rejected. 

Again,  M.  l'Abbe  Herman,  cure  and  dean  of  Orp-le- 
grand,  a  venerable  priest  of  sixty-three  years  of  age  and 
an  invalid,  has  undergone,  first  at  Rheinbach,  then  at  Wahn 
(Rhld)  thirteen  months'  imprisonment  for  humane  acts 
which  every  man  who  is  not  absolutely  heartless  and,  still 
more,  every  priest  devoted  to  his  country  was  obliged  to 
perform;  you  had  raised  my  hope  of  his  release  and  even 
the  Holy  Father  deigned  to  interest  himself  in  his  case.  So 
far  the  wretched  captive  has,  so  he  informs  me,  not  a  gleam 
of  hope.  Shall  I  be  compelled  to  tell  him  that  he  must  serve 
the  remaining  nine  months  of  his  sentence?  The  Abbe 
Bernaerts,  too,  who  is  so  indispensable  for  his  parish  and  the 
social  work  of  which  he  was  director  at  Antwerp,  is  still 
interned.  I  endeavored  to  visit  him  on  the  7th  inst.,  but 
was  denied  access  to  the  prison.  You  will  remember  that  a 
woman  of  mysterious  character,  certainly  without  a  search- 
warrant,  examined  in  the  presence  of  an  officer  Abbe  Ber- 
naert's  confidential  papers — an  incident  I  have  already 
brought  to  your  notice.  May  I  ask  you  whether  the  inquiry 
has  been  fruitful  of  results? 

You  must  have  heard  that  the  mayors  and  leading  citi- 
zens of  several  communes  in  the  province  of  Antwerp  are 
interned  at  Malines,  because  some  workmen  in  their  respec- 
tive communes  have  evaded  deportation.  Among  those  in- 
terned is  an  old  man  of  eighty.  I  do  not  wish  to  reopen 
the  discussion  of  deportation  itself  for  the  present,  but,  the 
temperature  being  what  it  is,  can  you,  in  the  name  of  hu- 
manity, justify  the  detention  in  an  icy  cell  of  a  venerable 
octogenarian? 

But  there  is  something  else  even  more  inhuman  than 


CELEBRATIONS  IN  CHURCHES  359 


this.  A  poor  woman  named  Madame  Wilputte,  who  is 
about  to  become  a  mother — according  to  the  doctors  within 
the  next  fortnight — is  lodged  in  the  cavalry  barracks  in 
Malines,  and  notwithstanding  her  condition  the  local  au- 
thorities have  made  known  to  her  their  intention  to  have 
her  carried  off  to  Germany  immediately. 

Is  such  conduct  conceivable  ?  Can  you  do  nothing  to  put 
a  stop  to  it? 

Please  receive  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  chief  of  the  political  department  contented  himself 
with  replying  as  follows  : 

Political  Department  of  the  Government  General  of  Bel- 
gium, Brussels,  January  17th,  1 9 1 7 . 
S.  No.  I.  597. 

To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

I  have  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  esteemed  let- 
ter of  the  1 6th  inst.  The  Governor  General  will  still  be 
away  for  some  time.  Nevertheless,  I  am  able  to  give  the 
desired  information  about  the  patriotic  demonstrations 
which  were  made  in  churches.  The  incidents  mentioned  in 
the  Governor  General's  letter,  dated  December  15th,  oc- 
curred on  December  3rd  at  St.  Mary's  Church  at  Schaer- 
beek.  During  the  1 1  o'clock  service  a  procession  was  formed 
inside  the  church  in  which  the  Belgian  flag  was  carried 
around.  This  ceremony  was  repeated  in  the  same  church 
on  January  7th.* 

These  particulars  will  suffice  to  guide  your  Eminence 
in  seeking  supplementary  information.  I  should  like,  how- 
ever, to  add  that  if  these  demonstrations  continue,  their 
authors  must  not  be  surprised  if  they  incur  severe  penalties, 
for  it  is  a  proved  fact  that  the  leniency  we  have  hitherto 
shown  has  given  rise  to  an  increase  in  ceremonies  of  this 
kind  in  church,  the  tendency  of  which  is  obviously  political. 

*  These  so-called  demonstrations  consisted  in  a  procession  which  took 
place  regularly  inside  the  church  on  the  first  Sunday  of  each  month.  Even 
before  the  war  the  national  flag  figured  prominently  therein. 


36o  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


As  I  am  on  the  point  of  going  on  a  journey  for  a  few 
days,  I  am  sorry  I  can  give  your  Eminence  no  exact  informa- 
tion as  to  the  other  matters  dealt  with  in  your  letter.  I  hope, 
however,  to  be  able  to  obtain  the  necessary  authority  for  you 
to  visit  Abbe  Bernaerts.  Moreover,  I  have  taken  certain 
steps  in  favor  of  the  Cure  Herman  and  the  Malines  people 
under  arrest,  and  on  my  return  I  shall  be  able  to  give  your 
Eminence  fuller  details. 

Please  receive  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  Lancken. 

N.  B. — I  have  just  this  moment  heard  that  the  leading 
Malines  people  who  were  arrested  with  a  view  to  their  un- 
dergoing an  urgent  examination  have  been  set  at  liberty. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 


REMOVAL  OF  CERTAIN  APPARATUS  FROM  THE  ST.  LAMBERT^ 
TECHNICAL  SCHOOL 

The  German  authorities,  not  content  with  despoiling  the 
Belgian  factories  of  all  their  machinery,  went  so  far  as  to 
carry  off  certain  tools  used  in  the  instruction  of  apprentices 
at  St.  Lambert's  Technical  School,  Malines. 

As  soon  as  he  became  aware  of  this  new  encroachment 
on  the  rights  of  private  property,  the  Cardinal  commissioned 
one  of  his  vicars  general  to  lay  a  protest  against  this  un- 
justifiable act  of  commandeering  before  the  competent  Ger- 
man military  authority,  but  he  was  too  late,  for  on  the 
arrival  of  the  Cardinal's  delegate  the  material  was  already 
loaded  in  railway  wagons  labeled  for  Germany. 

The  Cardinal  hastened  to  complain  to  Baron  von  Bissing 
in  these  terms  : 

Archbishop's  House,  Malines, 

December  nth,  191 6. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — I  have  the  honor  to  inform  you  that  this  morning 
an  engineer,  engaged  in  the  Rateau  works  at  Muysen-lez- 
Malines,  advised  me  that  thirty-nine  engineer's  twin  vises, 
forming  part  of  the  apparatus  of  St.  Lambert's  Technical 
School,  were  commandeered  by  a  German  officer. 

St.  Lambert's  Technical  School  is  a  free  school,  under 
the  patronage  of  the  Archbishop  of  Malines.  It  trains 
workmen,  ironworkers  among  others,  who  attend  a  practical 
course,  in  a  section  reserved  for  them  at  the  Rateau  works, 
using  tools  and  other  apparatus  made  by  their  own  hands. 
I  at  once  sent  one  of  my  vicars  general  to  protest  against  the 

361 


362   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


taking  away  of  these  tools  and  to  insure  their  retention  for 
the  use  of  our  apprentices.  When  my  delegate  arrived  the 
iron  vises  were  already  loaded  in  trucks,  at  the  station  at 
Muysen,  and  tomorrow  they  will  be  dispatched  to  Germany. 

The  officer,  Lieutenant  Buehler,  had  already  gone  back 
to  Antwerp,  but  the  vicar  general  called  at  his  office  in  the 
afternoon  and  asked  him  to  postpone  their  dispatch.  The 
lieutenant  excused  himself  on  the  plea  that  he  was  obliged 
to  obey  orders. 

I  have  ventured  to  place  these  facts  before  your  Excel- 
lency in  the  firm  conviction  that  you  will  admit  my  claim 
by  restoring  to  our  young  workmen  equipment  doubly  dear 
to  them,  because  it  is  not  only  forged  by  their  own  hands, 
but  also  insures  them  a  means  of  livelihood. 

Accept,  sir,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Baron  von  der  Lancken  received  orders  from  Baron  von 
Bissing  to  reply  to  the  Cardinal's  protest.  He  made  no  at- 
tempt to  justify  the  commandeering  of  engineer's  vises  and 
even  implicitly  acknowledged  the  illegality  of  the  proceed- 
ings taken  by  the  military  authorities.  Moreover,  he  de- 
clared that  the  occupying  power  would  do  its  best  to  repair 
the  damage  done  to  St.  Lambert's  school. 

Political  Department  of  the  Government  General  of  Bel- 
gium, Brussels.  December  i$thf  191 6. 
To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

As  soon  as  I  was  informed  over  the  telephone  by  Mgr. 
de  Wachter,  Auxiliary  Bishop,  of  the  removal  of  engineer's 
vises  from  St.  Lambert's  School,  I  exerted  myself  to  the  ut- 
most to  settle  the  matter.  The  next  day  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral, after  perusing  your  letter,  seemed  very  anxious  to  com- 
ply with  your  request.  It  has  not,  however,  been  possible 
to  prevent  the  transport  of  the  articles  in  question,  but  the 
Governor  General  has  given  orders  to  return  as  many  vises 
to  St.  Lambert's  School  as  have  been  taken  away. 

According  to  information  received,  only  three  of  the 


APPARATUS  FROM  SCHOOL  363 


vises  belonging  to  the  school  were  parallel  or  twin  vises; 
the  others  were  of  the  common  type.  I  am  sorry  to  have  to 
warn  your  Eminence,  however,  that  the  parallel  vises  will  be 
very  hard  to  restore;  the  stock  with  which  we  are  going 
to  replace  them  will  not  comprise  this  special  kind. 

I  offer  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)  Lancken. 

The  assertion  that  the  military  authorities  had  only  taken 
away  three  parallel  vises  was  untrue.  Moreover,  Baron 
von  der  Lancken  himself  acknowledged  as  much  in  a  letter 
to  Mgr.  Legraive,  the  auxiliary  bishop.  "It  was  my  mis- 
take," said  he,  "when  I  said  that  all  the  vises  requisitioned 
were  not  parallel  vises." 

In  spite  of  the  Governor  General's  promises,  the  articles 
taken  away  were  never  either  replaced  or  paid  for  by  the 
Germans.  The  school,  at  its  own  expense,  had  to  purchase 
a  new  stock. 


CHAPTER  XXXV 


REQUISITION  OF  COPPER 

An  order  of  the  Governor  General  dated  July  8,  19 16, 
ordered  the  compulsory  declaration  of  all  existing  stocks  of 
copper,  tin,  nickel,  bronze,  or  gun-metal  in  occupied  terri- 
tory. 

By  a  new  order  of  December  30th  all  household  articles 
made  of  tin,  brass,  copper,  etc.,  were  seized  and  had  to  be 
made  over,  the  date  of  delivery  being  fixed  later  on  for 
each  district.  Any  one  contravening  the  order  was  liable 
to  penalties  not  exceeding  five  years'  imprisonment  and 
20,000  marks  fine. 

As  soon  as  these  orders  came  into  force,  the  Cardinal 
wrote  Baron  von  Bissing  as  follows  : 

Archbishop* s  House,  Matines, 

February  14th,  19 17. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — The  official  gazette  of  laws  and  orders  of  July  8th, 
19 16,  announces  that  the  military  authorities  are  thinking  of 
commandeering  all  existing  copper,  tin  and  nickel  in  occupied 
territory.  We  could  not  bring  ourselves  to  believe  that  the 
occupying  power  would  ever  resort  to  such  measures;  but 
now  an  order  of  December  30th  confirms  that  of  July  8th 
and  we  learn  that  these  regulations  are  now  being  enforced. 

From  the  moral  and  religious  point  of  view  adopted  by 
me  by  reason  of  my  duty  as  bishop,  I  respectfully  make  your 
Eminence  a  dual  request: 

First.  That  you  will  not  regard  as  guilty  those  who  in 
their  conscience  believe  that  they  cannot  actively  lend  a  hand 
in  carrying  off  the  commandeered  metals. 

364 


REQUISITION  OF  COPPER  365 

Second.  That  you  would  kindly  take  into  account  that, 
according  to  canon  law,  the  goods  of  religious  communities, 
seminaries,  episcopal  colleges,  as  well  as  those  of  the  "fab- 
riques," are  ecclesiastical  property  and  therefore  cannot  be 
alienated  without  the  Sovereign  Pontiff's  sanction. 

To  be  fair,  I  must  inform  your  Excellency  that  I  can 
neither  co-operate  myself  nor  allow  those  under  me  to  co- 
operate in  the  alienation  of  these  goods. 

Receive,  sir,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 


THE  GOVERNOR  GENERAL  REQUESTS  THE  CARDINAL  TO  RE- 
STRICT THE  CONSUMPTION  OF  COAL  IN  THE  CHURCHES 

Political  Department  of  the  Government  General, 

Brussels,  February  gth,  19 17. 
To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Your  Eminence  is  not  unaware  that  at  the  present  mo- 
ment a  great  dearth  of  coal  is  making  itself  felt.  As  the 
weather  continues  to  be  bitterly  cold,  it  is  needful  for  this 
fuel  to  be  everywhere  used  with  the  greatest  economy,  so 
the  government  has  taken  steps  to  limit  the  consumption  of 
coal.  As  regards  fuel  economy,  those  churches  which  are 
heated  must  fall  into  line  with  the  rest.  The  Governor 
General  requests  me  to  draw  your  attention  to  this  matter 
and  leaves  it  to  you  to  judge  what  steps  you  think  ought  to 
be  taken  so  that  the  coal  restrictions  imposed  upon  every- 
body in  the  public  interest  may  be  complied  with. 

Please  receive  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  Lancken. 

The  coal  shortage  was  due  solely  to  the  German  requi- 
sitions, for,  as  the  Cardinal  showed  in  his  letter  of  Novem- 
ber 2nd  to  Baron  von  Bissing,  reproduced  later  on,  the  war- 
time output  of  the  Belgian  mines,  had  it  been  left  at  the 
disposal  of  the  people,  would  have  admitted  of  the  distribu- 
tion of  approximately  three  tons  of  coal  a  year  to  each  of  the 
population.  But  the  greater  part  of  the  output  was  com- 
mandeered by  the  German  Government,  which,  in  order  to 
secure  a  supply  of  gold,  sold  it  to  neutral  countries  at  a 
handsome  profit.  Meanwhile  the  Belgian  people — for  the 
common  good,  said  Baron  von  der  Lancken — had  to  deprive 
themselves  of  fuel  during  the  most  intense  cold. 

366 


RESTRICTION  OF  USE  OF  COAL  367 


Among  the  steps  mentioned  by  the  chief  of  the  political 
department  in  his  letter  to  the  Cardinal,  we  must  note  the 
closing  of  all  educational  establishments  through  lack  of 
heating  power. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 


THE  CARDINAL'S  PASTORAL  LETTER,  "COURAGE, 
BRETHREN  !" 

The  Cardinal's  Lenten  Pastoral  for  the  year  19 17,  be- 
ginning, "Courage,  brethren,"  was  read  in  all  the  churches 
of  the  diocese  on  Sunday,  February  25th. 

It  was  divided  into  two  sections.  In  the  first  the  Cardi- 
nal dilated  upon  the  moral  greatness  of  the  nation;  he  did 
homage  to  the  valor  of  the  army  and  the  prisoners,  the 
patience  of  the  refugees,  the  firmness  of  the  Government  and 
the  undaunted  courage  of  the  King.  "If,"  said  he,  "there 
were  some  dark  clouds  in  the  sky,  they  would  dissolve  in  the 
course  of  history  and  allow  nothing  to  shine  forth  but  the 
moral  beauty  of  the  nation,  its  glowing  patriotism,  its 
staunch  resolve.  The  grand  lessons  of  military  heroism  and 
patriotism  given  by  the  Belgian  people  would  serve  to  edu- 
cate the  mind  of  generations  to  come." 

In  the  second  section  the  Cardinal  dwelt  on  the  gran- 
deur of  the  Christian  spirit.  "If  natural  moral  virtues  be 
worthy  of  esteem,  charity  alone,  which  Christ  infuses  into 
the  soul,  gives  virtue  its  full  significance  and  strictly  speak- 
ing merits  eternal  reward." 

The  Pastoral  ended  with  an  exhortation  to  confidence 
and  acts  of  adoration  and  love  of  God,  and  of  submission  to 
His  holy  will. 

Baron  von  Bissing,  considering  that  the  Cardinal  had 
again  issued  a  political  manifesto,  wrote  him  as  follows  : 

Government  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 

February  27th,  19 1 7. 
To   His   Eminence    Cardinal   Mercier,   Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

On  the  25th  inst.  your  Eminence  ordered  a  Pastoral  to 
be  read  in  all  the  churches,  a  whole  chapter  of  which  is 

368 


"COURAGE,  BRETHREN!"  369 

taken  up  with  purely  political  matters.  I  must  raise  a  vig- 
orous protest  against  the  abuse  which  has  been  made  of 
the  liberty  of  worship,  hitherto  accorded,  in  order  to  pro- 
mote a  political  agitation.  By  issuing  this  manifesto,  di- 
rected against  the  occupying  power,  your  Eminence  has 
again  sadly  disillusioned  me  of  the  hope  I  was  justified  in 
forming,  in  view  of  the  repeated  declarations  of  the  Holy 
Father.  If,  after  this  incident,  I  refrain  from  taking  seri- 
ous measures  it  is  solely  because  of  my  regard  for  the  Holy 
See  and  for  the  sake  of  religious  peace  in  occupied  territory. 
For  an  action  of  this  nature  a  simple  priest,  according  to 
the  orders  now  in  force,  would  render  himself  liable  to  legal 
proceedings.  Nor  can  I  refrain  from  expressing  to  your 
Eminence  my  surprise  that  you  should  issue  a  public  mani- 
festo of  this  kind  at  the  very  time  when,  in  common  with  a 
certain  number  of  well-known  personages  in  the  occupied 
territory,  you  have  just  addressed  an  appeal  to  his  Majesty 
the  Kaiser  in  the  interests  of  the  unemployed.  This  act  of 
your  Eminence  deters  me  from  promising,  as  I  have  done, 
my  support  to  the  above  appeal. 

Receive  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  Baron  von  Bissing, 

Lieutenant  General. 

The  Cardinal  hastened  to  justify  his  conduct  by  assert- 
ing that  his  duty  was  to  encourage,  lead  and  support  his 
beloved  people  struggling  in  the  midst  of  the  most  cruel 
sufferings. 

Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

March  3*/,  19 17. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — The  letter  I.  1799,  with  which  your  Excellency 
has  honored  me,  under  date  of  February  27th,  only  reached 
me  yesterday,  March  2d,  and  I  avail  myself  of  my  first 
leisure  moment  to  answer  it. 

May  I  beg  your  Excellency  to  be  so  good  as  to  abstract 
for  a  moment  from  your  position  as  a  soldier  and  the  chief 
representative  of  the  occupying  power  to  hearken  to  those 


37o   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


feelings  which  cause  a  responsive  echo  in  the  heart  of  every 
Christian  and  thrill  his  very  soul?  I  do  not  ask  more  than 
that  in  order  to  rest  assured  that  you  will  not  hold  fast  to 
your  first  decision. 

Be  so  good,  Excellency,  as  to  look  the  facts  in  the  face. 
Just  as  Our  Holy  Father  Benedict  XV,  in  his  consistorial 
address  of  December  4th,  19 16,  proclaimed  so  nobly  before 
the  Church  and  before  the  world,  considerable  numbers  of 
inoffensive  citizens  are  dragged  from  their  mothers,  their 
wives  and  their  weeping  children  and  led  off  into  captivity 
far  from  their  native  land.  We  have  seen  them  go  dejected 
in  mind,  though  sound  in  body,  and  we  have  seen  them 
come  back  wizened,  emaciated,  a  prey  to  tuberculosis  in 
the  proportion  of  six  to  ten,  thus  creating  a  dire  menace  for 
generations  to  come. 

Every  family  is  in  dread.  Tales  of  sorrow  come  to  us 
from  every  side,  and  how  can  we  in  face  of  this  remain 
unmoved  witnesses  of  our  beloved  people's  anguish?  No, 
Excellency,  a  power  which  only  took  count  of  exterior  dis- 
cipline might  make  this  claim.  A  man  with  a  heart  would 
not  uphold  it. 

I  regret  having  to  raise  my  voice  in  public  at  a  moment 
when  people  are  speaking  about  the  generous  efforts  dis- 
played by  your  Excellency  to  prevent  fresh  deportations  and 
to  mitigate  the  effects  of  those  already  carried  out — at  a 
moment  when  I  had  just  signed  a  confident  appeal  to  his 
Imperial  Majesty.  But  it  is  needful  to  take  account  of  the 
complex  situation  created  for  us  by  events.  We  are  face  to 
face  with  a  power  which  has  at  its  disposal  the  means  of 
might;  but  around  us  are  a  people  weak,  agonized  and 
suffering;  we  have  to  respect  the  one  without  neglecting  the 
other.  I  am  ready,  with  God's  grace,  for  every  personal 
sacrifice,  but  one  cannot  ask  a  shepherd  to  take  no  interest 
in  his  flock.  It  is  inconceivable  that  he  should  see  it  dis- 
persed and  hear  its  cries  without  trying,  at  least,  with  the 
poor  means  at  his  disposal,  to  prove  that  he  still  leads  them 
and  that  he  will  not  forsake  them. 

Would  your  Excellency  kindly  read  again  with  an  im- 
partial eye  my  Pastoral  of  February  nth?   You  will  find 


"COURAGE,  BRETHREN!"  371 

therein  nothing  but  the  expression  of  sentiments  of  kindly- 
solicitude.  I  have  no  intention  of  wounding  any  one  what- 
ever, nor  of  being  aggressive.  I  merely  confine  myself 
to  encouraging  a  people  who  are  dear  to  me  and  of  whom 
I  am,  by  my  vocation,  the  leader  and  mainstay.  The  faith- 
ful understand  me;  my  words  incite  no  one  to  rebellion, 
whereas  in  the  case  of  many  I  know  it  has  brought  them 
peace  of  mind. 

Accept,  sir,  the  expression  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Baron  von  der  Lancken,  having  in  the  course  of  an 
interview  with  Mgr.  Legraive,  complained  of  the  Pastoral, 
"Courage,  My  Brethren,"  the  Cardinal  wrote  him  as  fol- 
lows : 

Archbishop's  House,  Malines, 
Louvain,  March  6th,  191 7. 
To  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Chief  of  the  Political  Depart- 
ment, Government  General,  Brussels. 

Dear  Baron — You  were  so  kind  as  to  inform  me  through 
his  Lordship,  Mgr.  Legraive,  that,  thanks  to  your  pressing 
instances,  Mile.  Douterlinge  will  escape  capital  punishment. 
I  rejoice  with  the  family  and  thank  you  for  your  kind  and 
effective  intervention. 

In  the  course  of  your  interview  with  my  Auxiliary 
Bishop  it  appears  that  you  passed  severe  judgment  on  my 
last  Pastoral  and  expressed  annoyance  at  a  letter  addressed 
by  me  to  a  club  of  young  Frenchmen.  On  this  last  point  you 
have  been  led  astray,  for  I  have  not  written  either  to  any 
young  men's  club  or  to  any  French  newspaper. 

As  regards  my  Pastoral,  you  must  be  acquainted  by  this 
time  with  the  correspondence  on  this  topic  exchanged  be- 
tween the  Governor  General  and  myself.  I  cannot  expect 
you  to  tell  me  that  you  are  satisfied  with  my  answer,  but  you 
cannot  deny  that  in  forming  a  judgment  about  the  meaning 
or  expediency  of  my  Pastoral,  we  must  look  at  it  from  two 
points  of  view — that  of  the  occupier  and  that  of  the  unfor- 
tunate people  whose  territory  is  occupied. 


372   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


You  must  acknowledge  that  the  military  power  of  Ger- 
many could  not  have  conceived  anything  more  opposed  to  its 
longing  for  peace  than  the  forcible  and  woeful  deporta- 
tions, which  have  aroused  universal  indignation. 

Accept,  dear  Baron,  the  expression  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  £>.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Baron  von  der  Lanckeh  could  think  of  nothing  better  to 
justify  the  action  of  the  occupying  power  than  to  appeal  to 
wartime  necessities  : 

Political  Department  of  the  Government  General, 

Brussels,  March  gth,  19 17. 
To   His   Eminence   Cardinal   Mercier,   Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

Your  Eminence's  esteemed  letter,  dated  the  6th  inst, 
has  duly  come  to  hand.  I  did,  as  you  say,  discuss  with 
Mgr.  Legraive  your  last  Pastoral  and  your  letter  published 
by  the  Parisian  press.  As  regards  this  last,  I  take  the  lib- 
erty to  send  your  Eminence  an  extract  from  the  "Vingtième 
Siecle.,,  According  to  this,  the  letter  was  not  addressed  di- 
rectly to  the  "Revue  des  Jeunes,"  but  to  one  of  its  staff  of 
writers. 

I  only  revert  to  the  Pastoral  in  order  to  pass  a  criticism 
on  the  remark  made  by  your  Eminence  that  we  must  dis- 
tinguish between  the  occupying  power  and  the  occupied 
country.  The  occupied  country  will  understand  many  things 
done  by  the  occupying  power,  if  it  makes  an  attempt  to  ap- 
preciate the  latter' s  point  of  view.  It  will  then  realize  that 
the  occupying  power  has  to  take  count  of  the  necessities 
of  war  imposed  on  it,  and  that  it  by  no  means  acts  in  an 
arbitrary  manner.  The  occupying  power  will,  of  course, 
look  upon  all  criticism  of  its  administration  as  unwar- 
ranted, if  no  account  be  taken  of  the  circumstances. 

I  offer  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)  Lancken. 


"COURAGE,  BRETHREN!" 


Inclosed  with  this  letter  was  the  following  extract  from 
the  "Vingtième  Siècle,"  dated  February  24th,  1917: 

AN  UNPUBLISHED  LETTER  OF  CARDINAL  MERCIER 


Undaunted  Loyalty  ôf  French  and  Bel- 
gians Under  Hardships 

The  "Revue  des  Jeunes"  will  publish  tomorrow  the  fol- 
lowing letter  which  one  of  its  correspondents  has  just  re- 
ceived from  Cardinal  Mercier: 

Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

January  15^,  19 1 7. 
Dear  Sir — Mr.  X   has  furnished  me  with  a  tan- 
gible proof  of  your  kindness  toward  myself  and  my  suf- 
fering flock.  I  appreciate  it  greatly  and  I  thank  you  for  it. 
Indeed,  Belgium  is  being  sorely  tried  and  the  sufferings  of 
the  populations  of  northern  France  are  not  less  keen.  But, 
thank  God,  our  courage  does  not  flag.  Our  people,  I  mean 
the  lower  classes,  they  who  have  to  bear  the  brunt  of  priva- 
tions, are  wonderful  for  their  steadfastness.  This  week  I 
went  through  the  byways  and  alleys  of  a  little  town — Lierre 
— which  the  invaders  had  already  looted  in  August,  19 14, 
and  from  which  they  had  just  kidnapped  1,000  able-bodied 
men.  I  went  from  house  to  house  to  see  the  families  of  the 
deported.  I  had  to  dry  many  tears  and  to  comfort  many  in 
sorrow.  I  have  heard  hard  words  about  the  tyrants  who 
brutally  smash  up  our  homes,  but  I  have  not  heard  either  a 
wife  or  a  mother  asking  for  peace  at  any  price.  We  suffer, 
but  we  abide  our  time.  Victory,  reparation  and  necessary 
guarantees  are  what  we  count  on.  The  Americans  in  charge 
of  the  feeding  of  the  French  populations  report  that  your 
own  people  are  animated  with  the  same  generous  senti- 
ments. With  you,  this  spectacle  is  less  surprising,  as  a 
Frenchman  is  temperamentally  and  traditionally  generous. 
Historically  he  is  the  embodiment  of  warlike  valor  and  of 
chivalry,  whereas  with  us,  who  have  enjoyed  a  long  spell 


374   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 

of  peace  and  possess  a  less  sanguine  temperament,  the  in- 
tense loyalty  shown  during  the  last  two  years  amazes  us 
and  inspires  us  with  a  sentiment,  perhaps  childishly  exag- 
gerated, of  self-admiration. 

You  will  understand  and  excuse  this  feeling,  at  all 
events  in  the  case  of  the  bishop,  the  father  of  his  flock, 
and  if  I  make  much  of  it,  it  is  to  explain  the  comfort  you 
have  given  me  by  your  kind  thoughtfulness. 

I  pray  God  to  reward  you  for  it,  to  bless  you  and  yours 
and  the  noble  French  nation,  and  I  offer  you,  sir,  the  assur- 
ance of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

CONDEMNATION  OF  MGR.  LEGRAIVE,  AUXILIARY  BISHOP  OF 
MALINES,  AND  OF  M.  L'ABBE  ALLAER 

On  the  finding  of  the  court-martial  at  Antwerp,  Mgr. 
Legraive,  Bishop  Auxiliary  of  Malines,  was  condemned  to 
nine  months'  imprisonment  for  showing  hospitality  to  a 
young  Frenchman  on  his  way  to  the  frontier,  and  Abbe 
Allaer  to  eight  months  as  an  accomplice.  The  Cardinal 
learned  of  these  sentences  on  his  way  through  Brussels, 
after  a  few  days'  absence.  He  discovered  at  the  same  time 
that  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  through  the  Nuncio,  had 
advised  him  to  ask  for  Mgr.  Legraive's  reprieve.  Accord- 
ingly, he  at  once  sent  in  an  appeal  to  the  Governor  General 
of  this  tenor: 

St.  Louis's  Institute,  Brussels, 

March  17  th,  19 17. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bissing,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — In  returning  this  evening  to  Brussels  after  a  few 
days'  absence,  I  learn  to  my  amazement  that  the  court- 
martial  sitting  at  Antwerp  has  just  sentenced  Mgr.  Le- 
graive, my  Bishop  Auxiliary,  to  nine  months'  imprisonment. 

I  feel  that  your  Excellency  will  mercifully  quash  this 
sentence,  the  more  so  because  I  happen  to  know  that  the  act 
was  inspired,  as  Mgr.  Legraive  avers,  by  motives  of  char- 
ity. I  hope  also  that  the  Abbe  Allaer,  spiritual  adviser  to 
the  seminary,  who  has  been  sentenced  to  eight  months' 
imprisonment,  will  experience  similar  leniency. 

Accept,  sir,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

375 


376  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


The  next  day  the  Cardinal  begged  for  permission  to 
visit  Mgr.  Legraive  at  Antwerp  : 

Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

March  iSth,  1917. 
To  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Chief  of  the  Political  Depart- 
ment of  the  Government  General,  Brussels. 
Dear  Baron — I  am  very  anxious  to  visit  this  afternoon 
his  Lordship  Mgr.  Legraive  in  prison.  Would  you  kindly 
procure  me  the  necessary  authority  to  do  so  or  warn  the 
governor  of  the  prison  by  telephone  ?  I  will  arrange  to  be 
at  Antwerp  between  4  and  5. 

Accept,  sir,  the  expression  of  my  sincere  esteem. 
(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

A  few  moments  after  sending  this  letter  the  Cardinal 
learned  that  Mgr.  Legraive  had  already  been  sent  to  Ger- 
many. He  expressed  his  surprise  to  Baron  von  der 
Lancken  : 

Archbishop's  House,  Malines, 

March  iSth,  19 17. 
To  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Chief  of  the  Political  Depart- 
ment of  the  Government  General,  Brussels. 
Dear  Baron — Yesterday,  on  my  arrival  at  Brussels,  I 
learned  that  his  Excellency  the  Nuncio  was  urging  me,  on 
your  advice,  to  send  in  a  petition  for  the  reprieve  of  Mgr. 
Legraive,  my  Auxiliary  Bishop.  And  this  morning  I  learn 
that  yesterday  Mgr.  Legraive  had  already  arrived  in  Ger- 
many. I  have  tried  in  vain  to  account  for  the  coinci- 
dence. 

Accept,  dear  Baron,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 
(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Three  days  later  Mgr.  Legraive,  having  received  a  re- 
prieve, returned  to  his  country  after  spending  forty-eight 
hours  in  the  camp  at  Siegburg.  The  Cardinal  hastened  to 
thank  Baron  von  Bissing  for  his  intervention. 


CONDEMNATION  OF  MGR.  LEGRAIVE  377 


Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

March  21st,  1917. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Bîssîng,  Governor  General, 
Brussels. 

Sir — At  this  very  moment  Mgr.  Legraive  returns  to 
us  from  Germany.  The  reprieve  granted  him  is  the  result 
of  your  prompt  and  powerful  intervention.  I  am  only 
doing  my  duty  in  expressing  to  you  how  grateful  I  feel 
and  at  the  same  time  I  offer  to  you  the  assurance  of  my 
sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  Cardinal  also  thanked  Baron  von  der  Lancken  for 
the  share  he  had  had  in  releasing  Mgr.  Legraive  and  asked 
him  to  use  his  influence  to  obtain  the  Governor  General's 
clemency  on  behalf  of  Abbe  Allaer. 

Archbishop's  House,  Malines, 

March  2id,  19 17. 
To  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Chief  of  the  Political  Depart- 
ment of  the  Government  General,  Brussels. 

Dear  Baron — I  have  heard  of  the  large  share  you  had 
in  the  speedy  release  of  Mgr.  Legraive  and  I  hasten  to 
thank  you.  The  joy  of  the  seminarists  at  the  return  of  their 
venerable  and  beloved  president  knew  no  bounds.  The 
clergy  and  myself  are  still  very  much  concerned  because 
Abbe  Allaer  was  not  able  to  return  with  his  companion 
in  captivity,  while  his  aged  mother  is  pining  away  in  her 
loneliness.  But  we  still  hope  that  the  Governor  General's 
clemency  will  soon  reach  this  worthy  and  deserving  priest. 

I  take  the  liberty  of  confiding  to  your  care  the  inclosed 
letter  addressed  to  the  Governor  General.* 

Accept,  my  dear  Baron,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

♦The  Cardinal  asked  in  this  letter  for  the  repatriation  of  twenty-two 
deported  people. 


378  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Baron  von  der  Lancken  replied  in  these  terms: 

Political  Department  of  the  Government  General, 

Brussels,  March  23d,  19 17. 
To   His   Eminence   Cardinal    Mercier,    Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

I  am  greatly  obliged  to  your  Eminence  for  your  ac- 
knowledgment of  my  efforts  to  effect  Mgr.  Legraive's  re- 
lease. If  Abbe  Allaer  is  to  be  set  at  liberty  it  would,  at 
least,  be  necessary  to  draw  up  a  regular  petition.  I  leave 
it  to  your  Eminence  to  write  in  this  sense  to  the  Governor 
General.*  For  my  part  I  am  not  in  a  position,  unfortu- 
nately, to  take  any  new  steps.  I  have  sent  on  to  the  Gov- 
ernor General  your  Eminence's  two  letters,  dated  January 
2 2d,  the  one  to  thank  him  for  the  reprieve  of  Mgr.  Le- 
graive,  the  other  asking  for  the  repatriation  of  twenty-two 
deported  persons.  Applications  dealing  with  each  indi- 
vidual case  were  not  inclosed  with  the  letter.  I  beg  your 
Eminence  to  send  them  to  me,  since  the  Governor  General 
is  disposed  to  support  your  appeal. 

I  offer  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)  Lancken. 


♦Abbe  Allaer  was  not  released  until  the  beginning  of  June. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 

DEATH  OF  BARON  VON  BISSING 

In  the  morning  of  April  i  ith  the  adjutant  of  Count  von 
Bismarck,  Kreischef  of  Malines,  called  on  the  Cardinal  in 
the  name  of  the  chief  of  the  political  department,  with 
official  intimation  of  the  death  of  Baron  von  Bissing,  which 
occurred  in  the  evening  of  the  previous  day.  On  receipt  of 
this  communication  the  Cardinal  wrote,  Baron,  von  Ider 
Lancken  the  following  letter: 

Archbishop* s  House,  Malines, 

April  igth,  19 17. 
To  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Chief  of  the  Political  Depart- 
ment of  the  Government  General,  Brussels. 
I  am  very  much  affected  by  your  kind  attention  and  wish 
to  express  my  gratitude.   Baron  von  Bissing  was  a  believer; 
I  remember  he  said  one  day  in  unmistakable  accents:  "I 
am  not  a  Catholic,  but  I  believe  in  Christ."    I  shall  pray 
to  our  Lord  in  all  sincerity  for  the  repose  of  his  soul. 
Accept,  sir,  the  expression  of  my  sincere  esteem. 
(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 


379 


CHAPTER  XL 


BARON  VON  FALKENHAUSEN  SUCCEEDS  BARON  VON  BISSING 

 FIRST  RELATIONS  OF  THE  CARDINAL  WITH 

THE  GOVERNOR  GENERAL 

On  April  24th  Baron  von  Falkenhausen  was  nominated 
in  the  place  of  Baron  von  Bissing.  A  prudent  intermediary 
expressed  to  the  Cardinal  his  wish  to  know  whether  he 
wanted  to  enter  into  personal  relations  with  the  new  Gov- 
ernor General.  In  view  of  the  then  existing  state  of  public 
feeling,  his  Eminence  considered  that  an  exchange  of  visits 
would  not  be  expedient.  Upon  this  Baron  von  Falkenhausen 
commissioned  the  chief  of  the  political  department  to  an- 
nounce officially  to  the  Cardinal  his  nomination  to  the  post 
of  Governor  General  and  to  assure  him  that  he  would  be 
ready  at  all  times  to  insure  liberty  of  worship  to  the  Bel- 
gians. 

In  reply  to  this  official  announcement,  the  Cardinal  sent 
the  following  letter  to  Baron  von  Falkenhausen  : 

Archbishops  s  House,  Malines, 

May  10th,  191 7. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Falkenhausen,  Governor  Gen- 
eral, Brussels. 

Sir — I  must  thank  you  for  your  Excellency's  kind  fore- 
thought in  announcing  to  me  officially,  through  the  kind 
offices  of  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  your  appointment  to  the 
Governor  Generalship  of  Belgium.  But  what  particularly 
gratified  me  is  the  assurance  you  gave  in  that  letter,  that 
religious  liberty  would  be  always  effectively  protected  in 
Belgium  and  that  your  Excellency  would  do  your  best  to 
safeguard  it. 

I  am  intrusting  this  letter  to  my  Vicar  General,  Mgr. 

380 


BARON  VON  FALKENHAUSEN  381 

Van  Roey,  who  will  deliver  it  personally  at  the  Government 
House  and  reiterate  to  the  delegate  of  your  Excellency 
the  expression  of  my  thanks  and  sincere  esteem. 

Please  accept  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 


CHAPTER  XLI 


THE    CARDINAL    RECOMMENDS    TO    BARON    VON  FALKEN- 
HAUSEN  THE  RELIGIOUS  INTERESTS  OF  WORKMEN  AT 
THE  MALINES  ARSENAL  AND  OF  PERSONS 
DETAINED  ON  SUSPICION 

Jrchbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

May  izth,  1917. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Falkenhausen,  Governor  Gen- 
eral, Brussels. 

Sir — Emboldened  by  your  Excellency's  expressed  wish  to 
protect  the  religious  interests  of  our  people,  I  should  like 
to  recommend  to  your  solicitude  the  workmen  of  the  cen- 
tral works  at  Malines.  I  refrain  from  speaking  of  the 
conditions  under  which  these  workmen  have  been  engaged  at 
the  arsenal.  But  the  Bishop  of  the  diocese  has  been  sad- 
dened to  find  that  it  has  been  made  morally  impossible  for 
these  poor  workmen,  who  for  the  most  part  belong  to  Chris- 
tian families,  to  hear  mass  on  Sundays.  Not  only  are  they 
deprived  of  their  Sunday's  rest,  but  their  work  begins  at  6 
a.  m. — too  early  for  the  first  mass  and  only  ends  at  noon, 
too  late  for  the  last  masses.  I  have  also  the  honor  of  call- 
ing your  attention  to  the  spiritual  destitution  of  people 
detained  on  suspicion.  As  long  as  their  cases  are  in  process 
of  investigation  they  are  precluded  from  assisting  at  mass 
and  are  thus  hindered  from  fulfilling  their  religious  duties 
and  deprived  of  their  chief  spiritual  consolation.  I  may 
mention  that  the  internal  arrangements  of  our  prison  chapels 
are  such  as  to  effectively  prevent  all  intercommunication  be- 
tween the  prisoners.  I  will  be  obliged  to  your  Excellency 
for  your  favorable  attention  to  both  these  petitions. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier. 

The  Governor  General  replied  through  the  chief  of  the 
political  department  that  he  would  institute  an  inquiry  into 
the  points  raised  by  his  Eminence. 

382 


RELIGIOUS  INTERESTS  OF  WORKMEN  383 

When  the  inquiry,  which  lasted  more  than  a  month,  was 
concluded,  Baron  von  der  Lancken  informed  the  Cardinal 
that  his  request  had  been  granted,  so  far  as  circumstances 
would  allow.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  things  remained  more  or 
less  in  statu  quo. 

The  Cardinal,  while  thanking  Baron  von  der  Lancken 
for  the  paltry  concessions  he  had  obtained,  again  insists 
upon  receiving  adequate  satisfaction.  He  complains,  at  the 
same  time,  of  the  vexatious  measures  to  which  he  is  sub- 
jected by  the  Government  General. 

Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

July  19th,  19 1 7. 
To  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Chief  of  the  Political  Depart- 
ment, Government  General,  Brussels. 

Dear  Baron — My  Vicar  General  has  had  the  honor  to 
give  you  a  provisional  answer  to  the  letter  which  you  were 
good  enough  to  write  me  on  the  10th  ultimo.  Neverthe- 
less, I  must  revert  to  the  subject  matter  of  your  corre- 
spondence because  I  attach  great  importance  to  it  and, 
thanks  to  your  gracious  intervention,  do  not  despair  of  ulti- 
mately obtaining  redress. 

You  are  kind  enough  to  inform  me  that,  from  a  religious 
point  of  view,  an  improvement  has  been  effected  in  the 
prison  regime.  Though  I  must  confess  I  do  not  exactly 
perceive  in  what  this  mitigation  consists,  yet  I  am  glad  the 
lot  of  the  prisoners  has  been  softened  and  thank  you  for 
the  efforts  you  have  made  to  bring  it  about. 

As  regards  the  Malines  arsenal,  you  allege  that  even 
before  the  war  work  was  in  full  swing  and  went  on  with- 
out interruption  even  on  Sundays.  In  this  I  am  obliged  to 
say  you  have  been  misinformed,  for  it  is  only  since  the 
occupation  that  the  workmen  have  been  deprived  of  their 
liberty  to  assist  at  mass. 

I  am  very  grateful  to  you  for  having  obtained  for  them 
one  free  Sunday  out  of  four;  but  the  fact  remains  that  on 
the  other  three  Sundays  of  the  month  they  are  compelled  to 
work,  and  the  government  withholds  facilities  for  perform- 
ing their  religious  duties.  The  earliest  masses  are  said  at 
6:30;  they  go  on,  together  with  the  sermon,  until  7:15, 


384  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


whereas,  according  to  the  regulations,  the  workmen  are 
obliged  to  sign  on  at  the  arsenal  at  7  a.  m.  Thus  hun- 
dreds of  workmen  are  precluded  from  obeying  the  dictates 
of  their  conscience. 

Your  government  plumes  itself  on  making  the  fulfill- 
ment of  their  religious  duties  compulsory  on  every  one  in 
your  army.  Why  then  refuse  the  Belgians  what  you  com- 
mand Germans  to  do? 

You  appeal  to  pressure  of  work.  Really,  if  instead  of 
opening  the  gates  of  the  arsenal  at  7  a.  m.,  you  were  to 
open  them  at  9  a.  m.,  do  you  think  work  would  suffer  seri- 
ously? Is  it  not  already  enough  that  our  poor  workmen 
are  forced  to  exhaust  their  strength  every  day  of  the  week 
in  the  service  of  their  enemies? 

I  said,  Baron,  that  you  have  been  misled  by  the  people 
commissioned  to  inform  you.  Does  not  the  incident  brought 
to  my  notice  yesterday  supply  an  additional  proof?  I 
have  not  expressed  to  anybody  my  intention  of  going  to  St. 
Gudule's  on  the  21st  of  this  month.  I  decided  on  the 
contrary,  several  weeks  ago,  to  sing  the  Te  Deum  in  my 
cathedral,  and  I  have  informed  the  Metropolitan  Chapter 
of  my  decision.  The  author  of  the  report  which  annoyed 
you  has  therefore  invented  his  story  in  every  detail,  and  it 
is  upon  reports  of  this  nature  that  the  German  Headquar- 
ters are  disturbed,  threaten,  fix  their  decisions,  etc.  ...  ! 

Can  you  not  put  an  end  to  this  irritating  procedure? 

Again,  on  the  12th  instant,  after  the  funeral  of  the 
late  lamented  M.  Scholaeert  at  St.  Gudule's,  I  lunched  in 
the  strictest  privacy  with  a  friend.  Just  as  I  was  taking 
my  seat  again  in  my  carriage,  I  was  amazed  to  see  a  group 
of  about  twenty  people  of  the  lower  classes  prowling  about 
just  outside  the  house.  Their  presence  was  accounted  for 
by  two  armed  sentries,  who  were  lying  in  wait  for  my  exit 
and  spying  on  my  movements.  I  saw  these  two  sentries  with 
my  own  eyes,  and  bearing  arms,  too  ! 

Is  this  meant  for  a  joke?  But  if  some  day  the  joke 
becomes  a  tragedy,  who  is  to  be  made  answerable  for  it? 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier. 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 


CHAPTER  XLII 


THE  CARDINAL'S  ATTITUDE  TOWARD  PARTITION  OF 
ADMINISTRATION 

The  German  Government,  wishing  to  break  up  Belgian 
national  unity,  included  in  its  program  of  reconstruction  in 
Belgium  a  regime  of  administrative  separation. 

This  work  of  disintegration  was  begun  in  November, 
19 1 6,  by  doubling  certain  branches  of  the  service  in  the 
Ministry  of  Science  and  Art,  thus  creating  two  classes  of 
officials,  whose  duty  it  was  to  control  education  in  the 
Flemish  and  Walloon  provinces,  respectively.  To  pacify 
the  minds  of  the  officials  in  charge,  the  German  civil  ad- 
ministration informed  them  that  the  question  was  but  one 
of  internal  order  and  had  nothing  to  do  with  separatist 
administration. 

On  March  23d,  19 17,  the  occupying  power  threw  off 
the  mask.  By  way  of  fulfilling  the  promise  made  by  the 
Imperial  Chancellor  some  weeks  previously  to  the  mem- 
bers of  the  traitorous  uConseil  des  Flandres,"  who  had  gone 
to  visit  him  in  Berlin,  he  had  an  order  published  according 
to  which  Belgium  was  to  be  divided  into  two  administrative 
districts,  the  first  with  its  headquarters  at  Brussels,  the 
second  at  Namur.  On  receiving  this  news,  Belgian  national 
feeling  was  deeply  stirred  and  numerous  protests  were  made 
to  the  Governor  General  by  prominent  persons  in  the  coun- 
try. 

Senators  and  deputies  belonging  to  all  parties  met  and 
deliberated  on  the  attitude  of  passive  resistance  they  ought 
to  take  toward  the  order  of  March  23d.  Some  of  them 
considered  that  all  officials  in  the  central  administration 
ought  to  resign;  others  went  so  far  as  to  recommend  the 
resignation  of  all  officials,  even  purely  local  ones,  magis- 

385 


386  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


trates,  mayors,  teachers,  etc.  The  opinion  which  prevailed 
and  to  which  in  the  end  the  members  unanimously  assented 
was  that  only  the  highest  officials  of  the  central  administra- 
tion should  resign  and  that  lower  officials  should  be  free 
either  to  resign  or  remain  at  their  posts. 

.  The  Belgian  Government,  on  being  consulted,  explicitly 
approved  of  this  modified  solution,  urging,  however,  the 
officials  of  the  exchequer  to  delay  their  resignations  for  the 
time  being. 

The  occupying  power  was  not  slow  in  taking  steps 
against  refractory  officials.  On  the  pretext  that  in  with- 
drawing the  declaration  of  loyalty,  which  they  had  signed 
at  the  beginning  of  the  occupation,  and  refusing  to  continue 
giving  their  services  they  were  setting  up  active  resistance 
against  the  carrying  out  of  legal  provisions,  the  government 
had  them  deported  to  Germany. 

The  Cardinal  made  an  energetic  protest  to  Baron  von 
Falkenhausen  against  these  flagrant  violations  of  interna- 
tional law  and  The  Hague  convention. 

Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

June  6th}  19 17. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Falkenhausen,  Governor  Gen-, 
eral,  Brussels. 

Sir — Since  the  beginning  of  the  occupation  of  Belgian 
soil  by  armed  force,  the  representatives  of  the  Imperial 
Government  fully  understood  that  the  administration  of 
our  country  had  to  be  organized  in  conformity  with  inter- 
national law. 

To  the  various  classes  of  officials  forming  part  of  the 
civil  administration,  Baron  von  Bissing,  basing  his  action 
on  The  Hague  convention,  addressed  an  invitation,  whose 
burden,  if  we  prescind  from  the  variants  of  diction,  was 
as  follows  for  all  of  them  : 

"Do  you  agree  to  fulfill  under  my  general  administra- 
tion the  offices  you  held  under  the  Belgian  Government? 
Not  otherwise  than  my  predecessor,  Baron  von  der  Goltz, 
I  do  not  ask  you  to  lay  on  one  side  your  national  spirit; 
rather,  I  appeal  for  your  co-operation  in  the  public  interest. 


PARTITION  OF  ADMINISTRATION  387 


You  will  continue  to  receive  your  salaries  out  of  the  Belgian 
treasury  for  which  I  am  temporarily  responsible,  under  one 
condition:  that  you  undertake  to  fulfill  your  duties  loyally 
and  to  do  nothing  which  would  militate  against  the  German 
administration  of  the  occupied  provinces  of  Belgium." 

On  this  occasion  several  men  engaged  in  government 
work  submitted  a  case  of  conscience  to  the  religious  authori- 
ties for  solution:  Could  they  without  detriment  to  their 
patriotism  and  loyalty  toward  the  legitimate  government 
yield  obedience  to  a  foreign  administration?  This  was  a 
thorny  and  delicate  question. 

At  the  first  sitting  of  The  Hague  conference  (1899), 
the  delegate  sent  by  the  Netherlands  Government,  M.  Van 
Karnebeek,  declared  that  "he  resented  the  introduction  of 
any  clause  which  appeared  to  empower,  either  directly 
or  indirectly,  the  officials  of  an  invaded  territory  to  place 
themselves  at  the  disposal  of  the  conqueror."  Nevertheless, 
the  conference  took  a  broader  view  of  the  matter.  It  quite 
realized  that  were  certain  officials  to  remain  at  their  posts 
in  invaded  territory,  they  would  frequently  perform  their 
duties  much  better,  at  least,  morally  speaking,  toward  the 
population. 

Notwithstanding  this,  both  at  the  Brussels  conference 
in  1874  and  The  Hague  conference  in  1899,  the  official 
representatives  intrusted  with  the  task  of  drawing  up  a  code 
of  international  law,  laid  great  stress  not  only  on  the  claim 
of  officials  to  liberty  of  action,  either  in  resuming  their  duties 
when  the  occupying  power  invites  them  to  do  so  or  in  declin- 
ing to  resume  them,  but  also  on  the  liberty  of  resigning  after 
having  once  agreed  to  resume  the  various  duties. 

I  would  invite  your  Excellency  to  read  over  again 
Article  IV  of  the  Brussels  conference  of  1874  and  the  pro- 
tocols of  the  same  conference  and  you  will  find  there,  sup- 
porting the  liberty  of  officials,  the  explicit  declarations  of  M. 
Beernaert  and  Baron  Lambermont,  for  Belgium;  M.  Lands- 
berge,  for  Holland;  M.  Vedel,  for  Denmark,  and  Colonel 
Staaf,  for  Sweden  and  Norway.  I  appeal  to  the  testimony 
of  neutral  countries,  as  they  are  indisputable  arbitrators  of 
international  law. 


388  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


I  would  also  invite  your  Excellency  to  read  through 
again  the  protocol  of  The  Hague  conference  of  1899  an(^ 
the  Rolin  report,  which  is  an  authentic  commentary  on  the 
articles  voted  by  this  conference.  Your  Excellency  would 
see  that  the  conference  unanimously  denies  "the  right  of  the 
occupier  to  constrain  directly  or  indirectly  any  class  of 
employés  of  the  occupied  state  to  resume  their  duties." 

Seeing  that  the  Government  General  in  Brussels  at  the 
end  of  the  year  19 14  sheltered  its  invitation  to  the  public 
officials  in  Belgium  behind  The  Hague  convention,  I  formed 
my  conscience  according  to  its  provisions  and  answered  my 
harassed  inquirers  : 

uThe  contract  submitted  for  your  signature  prior  to 
your  engagement  includes  nothing  which  compromises  your 
consciences  on  the  score  of  morality  or  religion  or  loyalty 
to  your  country.  You  may,  therefore,  sign  it  without  for- 
feiting either  your  honor  or  your  patriotism.  Your  services 
contribute,  indeed,  toward  the  national  weal.  I  do  not  doubt 
that  the  Belgian  Government,  were  it  possible  to  consult  it, 
would  ratify  your  acceptance.  You  are  not,  therefore,  want- 
ing in  loyalty.  As  regards  the  engagement  you  are  required 
to  enter  into,  'to  undertake  nothing  against  German  admin- 
istration in  the  occupied  territories,'  it  commands  you  to  re- 
spect both  public  order  and  the  regulations  needful  to  main- 
tain it.  None  of  you  has  the  intention  to  break  them.  But 
if  some  day  the  conditions  of  the  contract  submitted  for  your 
acceptance  were  to  change  their  character,  you  would  always 
be  free  to  repudiate  it.  Both  natural  and  international  law 
confer  as  well  as  guarantee  your  liberty  in  so  acting." 

What  was  but  a  surmise  in  19 14  is  now  unfortunately 
a  fact. 

The  decree  concerning  separate  administration,  which 
tends  to  throw  the  whole  of  the  administration  into  con- 
fusion and  to  break  up  our  national  unity,  places  the  state 
officials  in  a  situation  which  many  of  them  believe  offends 
their  self-respect  and  wounds  their  consciences.  They  are 
thus  within  their  rights  in  resigning  their  posts. 

Do  not  let  the  lawful  exercise  of  a  right  be  punished 
either  with  exile  or  imprisonment.    The  regulation  attached 


PARTITION  OF  ADMINISTRATION  389 

to  Article  43  of  The  Hague  convention  of  October  18th, 
1907,  stipulates  that,  save  where  absolutely  impossible,  the 
occupying  power  must  respect  the  laws  in  force  in  a  country. 
Nothing  hinders  the  occupying  power  from  respecting  the 
civil  organization  of  our  general  administration. 

The  questions  of  Belgian  home  politics  concern  Bel- 
gians alone  and  cannot  be  solved  except  by  the  Belgian 
Parliament  or  Government  or  by  the  King  of  the  Belgians. 
Your  Excellency  must  be  badly  informed  respecting  the  rea- 
sons why  the  various  public  officials  resigned  their  posts. 
When  you  have  seen  as  in  a  brighter  and  nobler  light  the 
attitude  of  these  courageous  men,  rather  than  proceed 
against  them  with  vigor  you  will  add  your  voice  to  that  of 
every  self-respecting  man  to  pay  them  homage  for  their  pru- 
dence and  disinterestedness.  I  say  their  prudence  advisedly 
because  they  prefer  to  take  refuge  in  a  positive  refusal — 
non  serviam — rather  than  act  in  secret  to  the  prejudice  of  an 
administration  they  can  no  longer  loyally  serve;  to  their  dis- 
interestedness, because  they  have  laid  the  sacrifice  of  their 
own  interest  and  the  safety  of  their  hearths  and  homes  on 
the  altar  of  their  country. 

I  beg  of  you  to  hearken  to  the  voice  of  those  who 
know  intimately  the  Belgian  people  and  their  history,  when 
they  affirm  that  no  violence  will  ever  triumph  over  their 
patriotism. 

Receive,  sir,  the  expression  of  my  sincere  esteem. 
(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  Governor  General  confined  himself  to  answering 
that  he  declined  to  discuss  with  the  Cardinal  any  questions 
other  than  those  of  a  religious  character. 

The  Holy  See,  through  the  medium  of  the  Nuncio, 
manifested  a  desire  to  be  accurately  informed  as  to  the  at- 
titude of  the  Belgian  episcopate  toward  the  administrative 
separation  imposed  on  Belgium  by  the  occupying  power. 
The  Cardinal  complied  with  this  request  in  a  long  and 


39o  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


detailed  letter  addressed  to  his  Holiness  Pope  Benedict 
XV.* 

M  alines,  August  $thf  19 17. 

Most  Holy  Father — I  regard  it  as  my  duty  to  give 
to  Your  Holiness  exact  information  as  to  the  attitude  of  the 
Belgian  episcopate  toward  the  measures  the  occupying  power 
has  decreed  in  order  to  accomplish  what  it  terms  "adminis- 
trative separation." 

In  reality  it  is  not  with  measures  of  administration 
that  we  have  to  deal,  but  with  an  attempt  to  effect  national 
disruption.  No  one  doubts  this  in  Belgium  and  no  one  out- 
side Belgium  will  have  any  doubt  of  it  after  the  publication 
of  the  late  Baron  von  Bissing's  "Denkschrift"  or  Memoirs. 
In  it  our  former  Governor  General  lays  bare  his  hope 
that  in  flattering  the  crude  aspiration  of  a  few  ardent 
Flemings  of  a  separatist  frame  of  mind  Germany  will,  on 
the  one  hand,  ultimately  succeed  in  detaching  them  in  affec- 
tion and  perhaps  also  in  fact  from  the  Walloon  part  of 
the  population,  and  on  the  other  hand  will  hinder  their 
withdrawal  from  under  the  hegemony  of  the  German  Em- 
pire. Belgians  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  they  must 
oppose  by  all  legitimate  means  this  anti-national  policy, 
while  the  almost  complete  unanimity  of  the  Flemings  as 
well  as  the  Walloons,  embracing  Belgian  citizens  of  every 
party,  whether  in  the  occupied  or  unoccupied  parts  of  the 
country,  have  rallied  around  their  King  and  Government. 

The  Belgian  episcopate  has  considered  that  it  ought 
not  to  be  last  in  the  ranks  of  those  who  do  their  duty,  while 
for  my  part  I  have  not  only  in  private  conversations,  but  also 
first  at  a  deans'  meeting,  a  second  time  at  a  meeting  of  the 
rectors  of  episcopal  colleges,  and  a  third  time  at  a  meeting 
of  the  masters  and  mistresses  of  the  training  schools,  clearly 
declared  what  is  our  patriotic  duty  and  at  the  same  time 
what  our  Christian  conscience  dictates  in  such  a  contingency. 

In  a  Pastoral  issued  by  me  long  before  the  war — on  the 

*This  letter  was  read  by  the  Cardinal  in  the  course  of  a  retreat  preached 
to  the  clergy  at  the  beginning  of  September  and  was  taken  down  by  one 
of  the  retreatants  and  published  in  "Cinquante  Mois  d'Occupation  Alle- 
mande" by  L.  Gille,  A.  Corns  and  Delands-Herre,  Brussels,  1919,  Vol.  III, 
pp.  412-418. 


PARTITION  OF  ADMINISTRATION  391 


feast  of  the  Epiphany,  19 10,  to  be  precise — I  said  that 
patriotism,  which,  following  St.  Thomas,  I  called  patriotic 
piety,  is  binding  in  conscience  to  such  an  extent  that  to 
fail  therein  in  serious  matters  is  to  commit  a  grievous  sin. 

Taking  my  inspiration  from  this  principle,  I  declared  to 
the  deans  that  anybody  countenancing  these  attempts  to 
break  up  our  national  unity  would  be  a  traitor  to  his  coun- 
try, and  to  the  directors  of  the  seminaries  and  episcopal 
colleges  I  added  that  I  forbade  our  seminarists  and  young 
students  to  take  part  in  such  partisan  meetings,  where,  under 
cover  of  what  they  term  activist  propaganda,  the  King,  as 
well  as  the  religious  authorities,  is  insolently  attacked. 

While  we  were  issuing  these  general  directions  to  our 
clergy  the  occupying  power  multiplied  its  separatist  efforts 
to  attain  its  own  ends.  At  the  outset  it  proceeded  slowly 
and  stealthily.  But  so  early  as  November,  19 16,  it  dupli- 
cated certain  posts  at  the  Ministry  of  Sciences  and  Art,  in- 
tending thereby  to  introduce  a  twofold  set  of  officials,  classi- 
fied in  two  categories,  namely,  Walloons  and  Flemings.  But 
to  soothe  the  consciences  of  those  concerned,  the  German 
commissary  formally  declared  that  it  was  only  a  matter  of 
internal  economy  special  to  the  teaching  services  and  by  no 
means  the  beginning  of  a  separatist  administration  for  the 
whole  country.  In  the  city  and  district  of  Brussels  and  in 
the  great  towns  of  the  Flemish  provinces  numerous  families 
of  Walloon  extraction  or  of  French  customs  give  their  chil- 
dren a  partly  French  education.  Various  steps  were  taken 
to  forbid  this  bi-lingualism.  At  last,  on  March  23d,  1917, 
the  Governor  General  threw  off  the  mask  and  decreed  the 
partition  of  the  Belgian  administration  into  sections,  one 
Flemish  and  the  other  French,  and  created  a  separate  cen- 
tral bureau  for  each  of  them. 

These  measures  are  contrary  to  Article  43  of  The 
Hague  convention  of  October  18th,  1907,  and  are  an  in- 
fringement of  our  constitutional  liberties  in  the  matter  of 
language.  Until  now  the  functions  of  the  central  adminis- 
tration were  carried  on  by  delegates  of  the  lawful  authority 
under  the  supervision  of  the  occupying  power.  For  the 
future  there  will  be  no  central  authority  of  national  origin. 


392  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


The  occupying  power,  in  order  to  lead  everybody  outside 
Belgium  to  believe  that  this  dual  organization  has  the 
approval  of  one  part  of  the  nation,  usurps  the  rights  of  the 
whole  nation,  and  so  well  does  it  know  this  that  it  has  tried 
to  effect  this  change  by  resuscitating  the  hateful  and  gro- 
tesque comedy  of  the  Council  of  Flanders. 

The  staffs  at  the  ministries,  mindful  of  the  loyalty  they 
owe  the  Belgian  Government,  were  prepared  in  great  num- 
bers to  resign  their  posts  rather  than  lend  a  hand  to  a 
policy  of  national  scission. 

Some  persons,  nevertheless,  foreseeing  reprisals  at  the 
hands  of  the  occupying  power,  and  more  anxious  to  protect 
the  private  interests  of  officials'  families  or  to  safeguard 
certain  party  advantages  than  to  preserve  intact  the  supreme 
interest  of  national  unity,  would  have  advised  all  the  staffs 
to  humor  the  whims  of  the  occupying  power  in  order  to 
avoid  a  greater  evil.  These  two  opinions  were  submitted 
to  the  government  at  Havre,  which  substantially  replied  as 
follows:  "The  higher  officials  ought  to  resign;  the  lower 
may  remain  at  their  posts."  Immediately  the  directors 
general  and  the  secretaries  general  of  all  the  ministries 
complied  with  the  wishes  of  the  Belgian  Government  and 
were,  just  as  was  expected,  led  away  captive  to  Germany, 

The  occupying  power  thought  itself  capable  of  checking 
the  exodus  of  the  staffs  by  taking  these  violent  measures, 
whereas  all  with  very  rare  exceptions  risked  their  family 
position  and  their  liberty  with  a  lofty  disinterestedness  that 
one  could  not  but  admire.  The  logical  sequence  of  these 
events  was  that  a  fresh  question  arose,  viz.,  what  was  to 
be  done  respecting  the  new  dualist  arrangement?  Were 
we  to  treat  with  it,  obey,  or  oppose  it  with  passive  resist- 
ance? 

Opinions  were  again  divided;  some  deemed  it  best  to 
break  with  rather  than  appear  to  recognize  this  new  situa- 
tion; to  close  the  colleges,  the  training  and  private  schools. 
The  majority,  and  I  sided  with  these,  refused  to  proceed 
to  extremes  at  the  first  onset.  The  Belgian  Government  it- 
self gave  the  example  of  moderation,  by  not  demanding 
from  all  officials  equality  of  sacrifice.    Duty  called  for  a 


PARTITION  OF  ADMINISTRATION  393 


protest  against  a  separatist  administration,  but  practical  life 
is  made  up  of  obstacles  unsurmountable  by  formal  logic. 
In  consequence,  we  decided  to  leave  the  primary  schools 
open  in  order  not  to  consign  our  children  to  vagabondage, 
but  we  proceeded  to  draw  up  a  protest  in  the  case  of  the 
colleges  and  training  schools  for  elementary  teachers. 

There  are  in  Belgium  free  normal  schools,  official  nor- 
mal schools,  communal  and  provincial  schools  and  state  nor- 
mal schools.  There  is,  moreover,  a  central  state  board 
before  which  those  who  have  not  followed  a  regular  course 
in  the  normal  schools  may  appear. 

In  the  normal  schools  not  belonging  to  the  state  a  state 
delegate  has  the  right  to  assist  at  the  final  examination 
and  the  certificates  receive  governmental  approbation  by  a 
stamp  being  affixed  to  them. 

Now  we  decided  after  consulting  the  masters  and  mis- 
tresses concerned  that  the  final  examinations  would  take 
place  as  usual  at  the  end  of  the  scholastic  year,  but  in  pri- 
vate; that  is  to  say,  without  inviting  the  German  officials 
to  assist  at  them  and  without  submitting  the  certificates  for 
their  signature. 

We  subsequently  carried  our  decisions  into  effect  quietly, 
unostentatiously  and  liberally.  We  anticipated  the  with- 
drawal of  the  subsidies  granted  to  the  normal  schools  by 
the  state  as  well  as  the  scholarships  awarded  to  the  scholars 
in  subsequent  years.  What  would  happen  to  these  schools? 
What  would  the  parents  say?  All  these  questions  were 
looked  squarely  in  the  face  by  those  present  at  the  meeting 
convened  by  us.  They  were  peaceably  solved  in  that  spirit  of 
national  loyalty  inspired  by  the  motto:  "Do  thy  duty,  God 
will  do  the  rest." 

A  mistress  of  the  normal  school  in  Flemish  Campine 
stated  that  she  needed  an  annual  sum  of  15,000  francs  to 
pay  the  salaries  of  her  lay  mistresses.  All  her  school  chil- 
dren belonged  to  Flemish  families  of  the  lower  middle  class. 
We  were  for  the  moment  certain  that  the  Belgian  Govern- 
ment would  in  its  turn  legalize  the  certificates  of  our  private 
boards  and  pay  us  the  grants  which  the  Germans  might  re- 
fuse, yet  we  had  not  absolute  certainty.    This  particular 


394   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


mistress  contented  herself  with  saying:  "Providence  will 
provide."  Yes,  Providence  will  provide.  It  has  provided. 
In  fact,  M.  Poullet,  our  Minister  of  Science  and  Arts,  wrote 
us  congratulating  the  head  teachers  on  their  courageous 
attitude,  promising  that  the  certificates  granted  should  be 
legalized  on  his  return  and  the  financial  deficit  met.  The 
parents  have  raised  no  objection  to  this  and  the  scholars 
with  only  one  or  two  exceptions  have  approved. 

As  soon  as  this  decision  was  arrived  at,  I  informed 
the  official  authorities  responsible  for  the  management  of  the 
normal,  communal  and  provincial  schools,  and  without  hesi- 
tation they  adopted  our  way  of  thinking  and  followed  the 
same  line  of  action  as  ourselves.  In  the  state  normal  schools 
nobody  could  prevent  the  Germans  from  setting  up  a  board 
to  their  liking.  The  board  was  set  up,  but  the  scholars 
themselves  refused  to  appear  before  it. 

Our  last  remaining  resource  was  the  central  board. 
Each  pupil  of  our  private  schools  had  the  right  to  present 
himself  before  it.  By  establishing  a  board  of  an  official 
character  on  our  premises  we  would  actively  have  co-oper- 
ated in  realizing  the  German  plan;  by  permitting  our  pupils 
to  go  before  a  central  board  we  should  not  assume  any 
direct  responsibility.  It  was,  therefore,  taken  for  granted 
that  parents  would  decide  whether  or  not  it  was  expedient 
to  present  their  children  before  this  board,  while  we  on  our 
part  stood  aside.   The  central  board  was  likewise  a  fiasco. 

Lastly,  the  certificates  granted  by  the  heads  of  colleges 
and  schools  on  the  completion  of  humanities  had  to  be  rati- 
fied by  the  central  administration  at  the  Ministry  of  Educa- 
tion. It  was  decided  that  these  certificates  should  not,  as 
was  customary,  be  sent  collectively  to  the  Ministry,  but  that 
each  individual  pupil  concerned  could  demand  his  certificate 
for  himself  and  hand  it  in  to  be  officially  stamped.  As  a 
matter  of  fact  no  certificate  was  asked  for  or  forwarded  to 
the  German  central  authorities. 

One  can  easily  understand  that  after  such  a  success,  the 
organizers  of  separatist  administration  were  disconcerted, 
disappointed  and  annoyed.  But  they  only  have  themselves 
to  thank  if  after  three  years  of  tyrannical  government  they 


PARTITION  OF  ADMINISTRATION  395 


have  not  yet  formed  even  a  vague  idea  of  the  psychology 
of  the  Belgian  people.  All  things  considered,  it  is  our 
duty  to  render  the  annexation  of  Belgium  as  difficult  as  pos- 
sible for  the  Germans. 

I  know  quite  well  that  all  the  neutrals  do  not  share  our 
opinion.  It  would  have  been  so  convenient  for  us  to  pro- 
test verbally  and  so  save  our  principles,  then  bow  our  necks 
under  the  yoke  in  order  to  spare  ourselves  trouble.  The 
same  sentiments  were  voiced  at  the  time  of  the  infamous 
and  brutal  invasion  of  our  territory  by  a  military  power 
before  which  we  were  fated  to  succumb.  Belgium  chose 
sacrifice.  It  is  her  glory  in  the  sight  of  God  and  in  the 
verdict  of  history.  Confronted  with  the  recent  acts  of  ad- 
ministrative perfidy,  Belgium  could  easily  have  silently  ac- 
quiesced and  could  later  have  sent  an  academic  protest  to 
the  authorities  of  the  German  empire.  But  this  policy  is  not. 
according  to  the  temper  of  our  people.  The  Belgian  does 
not  love  what  savors  of  convention;  he  prefers  deeds  to 
words,  but,  at  the  same  time,  knows  the  value  of  modera- 
tion. 

In  fact,  the  attitude  of  the  nation  in  this  question  of 
separatist  administration,  "the  gravest,"  said  a  diplomat 
to  me,  "that  the  Germans  have  raised  since  they  first  op- 
pressed under  the  pretense  of  ruling  us,"  the  attitude  of  the 
nation  has  been  admirably  moderate,  that  is  to  say,  marked 
with  calculated  energy.  Our  temporary  rulers  had  need  of 
rare  audacity  in  taxing  us  with  sedition,  when  our  conduct 
was  so  moderate  in  its  resistance  and  so  high-spirited  in  its 
refusal  to  submit. 

The  truth  is,  the  occupying  power  uses  its  resources  to 
the  utmost  limit  to  drive  us  to  desperation,  and  is  amazed 
at  not  succeeding.  We  yield  neither  to  cajolery  nor  to 
frightfulness,  but  during  three  years  we  have  never  once 
attempted  an  act  of  open  rebellion.  It  is  precisely  this  calm 
self-possession  that  the  Prussian  militarist  fails  to  under- 
stand. 

While  they  venture  to  lodge  complaint  against  our  lack 
of  respect  for  their  bureaucratic  regulations,  they  continue 
their  deportations  in  the  war  zone,  and,  contrary  to  the 


396  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


highest  authorities,  they  obstruct  repatriation.  Nine  whole 
months,  beginning  on  November  nth,  191 6,  have  now 
gone  by  and  thousands  of  inoffensive  Belgian  citizens  re- 
duced to  idleness  through  the  calculated  disorganization  of 
our  industries  have  suffered  hunger,  anguish,  exhaustion  in 
exile.  By  dint  of  wearing  down  their  physical  powers  the 
Germans  end  by  extorting  a  mere  external  consent  to  a 
system  of  compulsory  labor  their  soul  abhors,  and  then  by 
distorting  this  forced  acquiescence  into  a  free  act  they 
enroll  them  in  the  list  of  voluntary  workers,  a  class  they 
are  not  bound  to  restore  to  their  homes.  Is  this  not  odious 
enough?  But  let  no  one  any  longer  trust  in  their  sincerity 
when  they  announce  under  certain  conditions  of  lamblike 
mildness  and  with  the  silent  approval  of  occupied  Belgium 
the  termination  of  deportation. 

All  the  world  knows  that  spies  in  the  service  of  an 
enemy  military  power  are  punishable  with  death  and  we  do 
not  think  of  blaming  the  Germans  for  putting  down  real 
spying.  But  when  ignorant,  simple  people  count  the  trains 
that  pass  through  their  village  station  and  then  at  the  end 
of  the  week  send  the  total  number  to  a  comrade  who  is  fool- 
ishly believed  to  be  in  correspondence  with  the  English 
army,  when  they  are  found  boasting  of  their  prowess  in 
the  conviction  that  they  have  saved  their  country,  is  it  not 
criminal  to  condemn  them  by  batches  of  eight,  twelve  or 
eighteen  on  a  charge  of  espionage?  And  when  out  of  a 
list  of  fifteen  suspects  of  this  kind  three  are  pardoned,  or 
two  out  of  twenty,  who  are  sent  as  a  matter  of  course  to 
penal  servitude  for  life,  ought  one  to  reckon  it  mercy  or 
cruelty? 

I  am  coming  to  the  end  of  this  long  account,  most  Holy 
Father,  but  it  was  needful  to  make  it  complete  or  else  risk 
a  misunderstanding. 

I  omitted  to  state  that  the  Belgian  hierarchy  is  unani* 
mous  in  condemning  separatist  administration  and  "activ- 
ism." In  regard  to  this,  the  sentiments  of  all  are  known 
to  me  and  I  can  assure  you  they  are  unanimous. 

In  taking  practical  steps  it  is  ordinarily  very  difficult, 
if  not  absolutely  impossible,  for  us  to  act  in  concert.  Ques- 


PARTITION  OF  ADMINISTRATION  397 


tions  arise  unexpectedly  and  demand  instant  solution.  Jour- 
neys are  very  tiresome  and  slow,  and  intercourse  by  sealed 
letters  impossible.  With  the  Bishops  of  Ghent,  Bruges  and 
Tournay  all  communication  is  severed.  I  can  only  keep  in 
correspondence  with  my  colleagues  of  Namur  and  Liège. 
The  moment  the  problem  of  education  boards  for  the 
normal  schools  arose  I  sent  a  messenger  to  expound  my 
views  to  these  colleagues.  The  Bishop  of  Namur  agreed 
with  me  at  once,  the  Bishop  of  Liège  hesitated  chiefly  for 
local  reasons.  At  Liège,  in  fact,  the  liberals  wanted  either 
a  radical  clear-cut  solution  or  submission  to  the  decree,  and 
the  Bishop  justly  feared  lest  masters  and  mistresses  trained 
in  the  neutral  (irreligious)  schools  should  fill  the  vacancies 
created  in  the  free  (religious)  schools  owing  to  absence  of 
certified  teachers  trained  in  our  colleges.  At  Ghent  exami- 
nations had  already  begun  when  the  question  was  raised  in 
the  provinces  of  Brabant  and  Antwerp,  but  the  Bishop  ex- 
pressed to  me  later  on  his  keen  regret  that  he  had  not  known 
earlier  the  line  of  action  which  had  been  adopted.  The 
Bishop  of  Tournay  informed  me  of  his  own  accord  of  his 
adhesion.  At  Bruges  I  do  not  know  what  happened,  but  as 
this  town  is  being  constantly  subjected  to  bombing  attacks,  I 
imagine  that  studies  and  examinations  receive  only  slight  at- 
tention. I  may  add  that  even  at  Liège  the  bishop  must  have 
left  much  liberty  to  the  training  colleges,  for  several,  accord- 
ing to  what  I  hear,  did  not  hold  any  legal  examinations. 

In  the  name  of  our  suffering  country,  in  that  of  the 
Belgian  episcopate  and  in  my  own,  I  respectfully  thank  Your 
Holiness  for  your  fatherly  care  of  us.  I  thank  you  for 
the  quite  special  apostolic  blessing  which  you  have  deigned 
to  bestow  on  me  and  on  dear  Belgium  through  Cardinal 
Gasparri,  and  I  beg  you  to  renew  in  spirit  this  blessing 
for  which  we  are  always  the  more  eager  in  proportion  as 
our  cross  becomes  heavier,  and  I  place  at  Your  Holiness's 
feet  the  homage  of  my  most  profound  veneration  and  of 
my  ardent  filial  duty. 

Your  Holiness's  most  humble  and  obedient  servant, 
(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 


CHAPTER  XLIII 


ARREST  OF  CANON  VRANCKEN,  THE  CARDINAL'S  PRIVATE 

SECRETARY 

Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

June  3d,  19 17. 

To  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Chief  of  the  Political  Depart- 
ment, Government  General,  Brussels. 

On  my  return  to  Malines  yesterday  evening  I  had  the 
joy  of  finding  the  Abbe  Allaer  released.  I  know  the  part 
you  have  taken  in  securing  his  liberation  and  I  hasten  to 
thank  you.  On  the  other  hand,  I  was  exceedingly  grieved 
to  learn  that  my  private  secretary,  Canon  Paul  Vrancken, 
had  been  summoned  to  appear  before  the  Antwerp  court- 
martial  on  Wednesday  and  that  the  military  prosecutor  had 
asked  for  a  year's  imprisonment. 

You  know,  no  doubt,  the  charge  brought  against  Canon 
Vrancken.  In  a  sermon  preached  at  Malines  on  Whit- 
sunday he  mentioned  the  heroic  conduct,  known  to  every 
one,  of  the  twenty-three  young  men,  who,  on  the  appeal 
of  the  curate  of  St.  Léger  and  with  him,  offered  their  lives 
to  save  those  of  the  twenty-four  fathers  of  families  seized  as 
hostages  in  August,  19 14,  and  sentenced  by  the  German 
military  authorities  to  be  shot. 

Many  persons  present  at  the  sermon  bear  witness  that 
the  orator  did  not  utter  a  single  offensive  word  either  against 
the  German  army  or  the  occupying  power.  I  have  seen  him 
this  morning  in  his  cell.  He  is  the  soul  of  uprightness  and 
he  assures  me  that  he  had  no  aggressive  intention.  His 
arrest  has  amazed  him. 

He  is  too  valiant  in  suffering  to  desire  an  appeal  for 
mercy,  and  in  spite  of  the  paternal  affection  I  feel  for 
him,  I  refrain  from  making  one  to  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral. 

398 


ARREST  OF  CANON  VRANCKEN  399 


But  I  feel  I  must  call  your  attention  to  the  following 
consideration:  The  action  of  the  curate  of  St.  Léger  and 
of  the  twenty-three  young  men  of  his  club  is,  morally  speak- 
ing, so  admirable  that  it  will  henceforth  form  a  page  of 
universal  history.  It  is  inscribed  forever  in  the  annals  of 
mankind. 

Only  think  of  the  stigma  which  would  rest  forever  on  the 
name  of  your  people  should  historians  have  no  alternative 
but  to  add  that  for  having  paid  his  tribute  of  admiration 
to  these  young  heroes,  a  Catholic  priest  had  to  suffer 
imprisonment  and  exile. 

Accept,  Baron,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

In  spite  of  his  Eminence's  intervention,  the  Very  Rev. 
Canon  Vrancken  was  convicted  and  deported  to  Germany, 
where  he  was  detained  until  hostilities  were  terminated. 


CHAPTER  XLIV 


THE  CARDINAL  ACCUSES  THE  OCCUPYING  POWER  OF  IGNOR- 
ING RELIGIOUS  AUTHORITY  HE  AGAIN  INSISTS  ON 

OBTAINING  PERMISSION  TO   SEND  BELGIAN 
PRIESTS  TO  INTERNMENT  CAMPS  IN 
GERMANY 

Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

July  igth,  19 17. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Falkenhausen,  Governor  Gen- 
eral, Brussels. 

Sir — In  your  letter  of  the  13th  ult.  your  Excellency 
was  good  enough  to  write  me  that  you  were  inclined  to  meet 
the  wishes  of  the  Belgian  episcopate  in  church  matters 
whenever  such  are  brought  to  your  notice.  On  the  other 
hand,  you  insist  on  determining  the  limits  of  the  jurisdictions 
proper  to  the  ecclesiastical  and  political  authorities. 

On  this  point  I  am  in  agreement  with  your  Excellency, 
with  this  reservation,  however,  that  questions  bearing  on  the 
moral  order  cannot  be  alien  to  episcopal  jurisdiction  and 
consequently  cannot  be  removed  from  my  care. 

It  is  from  the  moral  point  of  view  that  I  have  expressed 
an  opinion  on  certain  measures  taken  by  the  occupying  power 
and  formed  a  judgment  as  to  the  attitude  adopted  by  cer- 
tain Belgian  officials  toward  it. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  occupying  power  ignored  the 
spiritual  authority  of  the  diocese  in  an  incident  which  oc- 
curred lately,  and  I  beg  your  Excellency  to  kindly  do  me 
justice. 

A  nun,  of  German  extraction — Sister  Celine — of  the 
Convent  of  the  Poor  Servants  of  Mary  Immaculate,  Rue 
Boduognat,  19,  Brussels,  lodged  a  complaint  with  the  Ger- 
man authorities  against  her  superioress  and  sisters  in  re- 

400 


BELGIAN  PRIESTS  FOR  PRISONERS  401 


ligion.  It  concerned  certain  difficulties  regarding  the  inter- 
nal order  of  the  convent  and  ought  consequently  to  have 
been  brought  before  our  tribunal. 

My  curia  adopted  an  attitude  of  great  condescension 
toward  the  German  administration  and  showed  special  favor 
to  Sister  Celine  by  placing  her,  at  the  request  of  Baron  von 
der  Lancken,*  in  the  Ursuline  Convent  at  Haecht,  where  the 
superioress  is  a  German.  In  spite  of  these  conciliatory 
proceedings  on  our  part,  the  German  tribunal  summoned  to 
appear  before  it  the  superioress  of  the  Convent  of  the  Poor 
Servants  of  Mary  Immaculate  and  condemned  her  to  two 
years  and  nine  months'  imprisonment;  Sister  St.  Pierre  was 
sentenced  to  two  and  one-half  months'  imprisonment,  and 
finally  Sister  St.  Paul  to  eighteen  months'  imprisonment. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  Sister  Celine  was  received 
into  her  community  out  of  charity  and  without  a  dowry,  the 
German  authorities  have  compelled  the  superioress  of  the 
convent  in  the  Rue  Boduognat  to  pay  the  German  supe- 
rioress at  Haecht  2,000  marks  toward  Sister  Celine's  main- 
tenance. 

I  beg  the  Governor  General  to  quash  this  judgment 
and  to  transfer  Sister  Celine's  case  to  the  ecclesiastical  court 
of  the  Malines  diocese.  As  it  rested  with  the  ecclesiastical 
authorities  to  remove  Sister  Celine,  in  case  this  were  found 
to  be  expedient,  I  beg  the  Governor  General  to  refund  the 
2,000  marks  to  the  superioress  of  the  Poor  Servants  of 
Mary  Immaculate,  and  to  leave  to  the  same  authority  the 
task  of  determining  the  conditions  of  Sister  Celine's  main- 
tenance at  Haecht  or  elsewhere. 

I  am  forced  to  add  that  if  I  do  not  obtain  satisfaction 
I  regret  I  shall  have  no  alternative  but  to  refer  the  matter 
to  the  Holy  See,  for  it  is  my  duty  to  see  that  canon  law  is 
respected.  I  would  also  direct  your  Excellency's  attention 
to  another  matter. 

While  your  predecessor  was  still  at  the  head  of  the 

*  Baron  von  der  Lancken  wrote  Monsignor  Legraive,  asking  him  to 
transfer  Sister  Celine  from  the  convent  of  the  Rue  Boduognat  to  the  Ursuline 
Convent  at  Haecht. 


402   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


government  in  Belgium,  I  was  pained  to  see  two  of  my 
young  priests,  the  Revs.  Van  Roy  and  Van  Bergen,  rebel 
against  my  authority.  Without  having  sought  the  permis- 
sion of  their  ecclesiastical  superiors,  they  deserted  their 
posts,  visited  offices  of  your  administration,  where  they  ob- 
tained permission  to  pass  into  Germany.  We  have  learned 
from  newspaper  articles  that  they  have  entered  into  rela- 
tions with  a  group  of  enemies  of  Belgian  unity  and  have 
received  passports  for  Gottingen. 

These  two  refractory  priests,  suspended  by  their  Bishop, 
are  exercising  their  ministry  contrary  to  canon  law  at  Got- 
tingen. 

I  demand  earnestly  that  this  abuse  be  brought  to  an 
end.* 

I  tried  by  every  means  in  my  power  to  get  your  predeces- 
sor to  grant,  and  the  Holy  See  has  deigned  to  make  repeated 
applications  to  Berlin  to  obtain,  permission  for  Belgian 
priests,  in  communion  with  their  bishops,  or  at  least  Dutch 
priests,  to  exercise  their  ministry  for  the  benefit  of  our 
countrymen. 

All  these  efforts  have  been  met  by  an  obstinate  refusal 
on  the  part  of  the  German  authorities.  Only  priests  who 
are  at  loggerheads  with  their  bishops  enjoy  the  favors  of 
the  Empire  in  Germany. 

In  the  interests  of  ecclesiastical  discipline,  on  the  one 
hand,  and  of  our  countrymen  interned  in  Germany  on  the 
other,  I  beg  your  Excellency  to  be  so  kind  as  to  bring  the 
Revs.  Van  Roy  and  Van  Bergen  back  to  Belgium  and  to 
authorize  the  Belgian  bishops  to  send  their  countrymen, 
whether  soldiers  or  civilians,  interned  in  Germany,  priests 
speaking  both  our  national  languages  who  retain  the  confi- 
dence of  their  superiors. 

I  offer  you,  sir,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier. 

♦These  two  priests  have  since  then  acknowledged  their  fault  and  ex- 
pressed their  deepest  regret  for  having  disobeyed  the  Cardinal's  orders. 


BELGIAN  PRIESTS  FOR  PRISONERS  403 


Government  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 
P.  A.  L  5653.  July  26th,  1 9 17. 

To    His   Eminence    Cardinal    Mercier,    Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your 
Eminence's  esteemed  letter  of  the  19th  inst.,  which  reached 
me  on  the  20th  (the  original  is  erroneously  dated  19th).  I 
am  glad  to  note  therein  that  your  Eminence  wishes  to  con- 
fine your  relations  with  the  occupying  power  to  purely  ec- 
clesiastical matters.  Further  on  your  Eminence  reminds  me 
that  in  my  letter  of  June  13th  I  said  that  in  what  concerns 
church  interests  I  would  always  take  into  consideration  the 
requests  made  to  me.  On  the  strength  of  this  assertion 
you  ask  me  to  withdraw  orders,  in  issuing  which  certain  of 
my  subordinates  are  alleged  to  have  been  guilty  of  unjus- 
tifiably tampering  with  matters  concerning  the  internal 
economy  of  the  church. 

To  this  charge  I  venture  to  answer  that: 

First.  No  German  authority  has  "constrained"  the 
superioress  of  the  Poor  Servants  of  Mary  Immaculate  to 
pay  2,000  marks  for  the  maintenance  of  Sister  Celine  at 
the  Ursuline  Convent  at  Haecht,  and  if  such  an  order  had 
really  been  made,  I  would  hasten  to  withdraw  it.  But  your 
Eminence  has  been  misinformed,  and  I  cannot  regard  as 
purely  ecclesiastical  the  fact  that  three  French  nuns  have 
been  punished  for  possessing  and  propagating  noncensored 
publications  and  also  for  having  insulted  the  Germans.  Of- 
fenses against  the  common  law  committed  by  ecclesiastics 
fall  everywhere  within  the  competence  of  the  ordinary 
courts. 

Second.  As  to  the  case  of  the  two  priests,  Van  Roy 
and  Van  Bergen,  who  are  exercising  their  ministry  in  Ger- 
man internment  camps,  your  Eminence,  having  entered  into 
negotiations  with  the  German  ecclesiastical  authorities,  I 
have  abstained  entirely  from  interfering  in  this  canonical 
dispute  and  will  accept  without  question,  so  far  as  I  am 
personally  concerned,  whatever  decisions  may  be  come  to. 

On  this  occasion  your  Eminence  again  expresses  the 
wish  to  obtain  leave  for  the  bishops  to  send  Belgian  priests 


404  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


into  Germany.  I  am  ready  as  my  predecessor  was  to  do 
what  I  can  in  this  way,  but  the  decision  in  this  matter  rests 
with  the  Berlin  war  office,  to  which  is  intrusted  the  supreme 
control  of  all  internment  camps. 

I  offer  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)  Von  Falkenhausen, 

Lieutenant  General. 

Archbishop9 s  House,  Matines, 

August  ist,  19 17. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Falkenhausen,  Governor  Gen- 
eral. 

Sir — In  your  esteemed  letter  of  the  26th  ult.,  you  are 
good  enough  to*  renew  the  expression  of  your  desire  not 
to  tolerate  abuses  of  power  which  would  encroach  upon  the 
prerogatives  of  religious  authority,  and  according  to  the 
interpretation  you  give  the  facts  I  have  called  to  your  at- 
tention, the  occupying  Power  has  no  cause  to  reproach  it- 
self with  any  unwarrantable  interference.  This  interpreta- 
tion needs  to  be  clearly  defined: 

First.  According  to  your  Excellency,  the  superioress 
of  the  Poor  Servants  of  Mary  Immaculate  has  not  been  con- 
strained (gezwungen)  to  pay  a  pension  of  2,000  marks  to 
the  superioress  of  the  Ursulines  at  Haecht  for  the  main- 
tenance of  Sister  Celine.  I  conclude  that  in  your  Excel- 
lency's judgment,  as  in  reality,  the  arranging  of  the  pen- 
sion for  a  nun  passing  from  one  convent  to  another  is  a 
domestic  concern,  pertaining  exclusively  to  the  management 
of  religious  communities.  Moreover,  I  conclude  that  the 
diocesan  authority  has  full  freedom  to  determine  as  it  likes 
the  amount  of  pension  to  be  paid  to  the  superioress  of 
Haecht  for  the  said  nun.  If  I  have  misunderstood  you,  I 
beg  you  to  put  me  right. 

Second.  It  goes  without  saying  that  German  justice 
would  not  summon  nuns  to  its  tribunal  and  condemn  them 
without  seeking  to  justify  its  interference.  You  bring  for- 
ward prohibitions  (verboten)  and  personal  conversations 
offensive  to  Germans.    At  this  rate  there  is  not  a  single 


BELGIAN  PRIESTS  FOR  PRISONERS  405 


Belgian  family  the  members  of  which  are  not  liable  to 
arrest. 

The  fact  against  which  I  must  continue  to  protest  is 
quite  simple.  A  German  nun,  instead  of  bringing  her  com- 
plaints, if  she  had  any  worthy  of  consideration,  about  petty 
domestic  squabbles  to  the  notice  of  the  diocesan  authorities, 
addresses  herself  to  an  incompetent  tribunal  merely  to  annoy 
her  superiors  and  sisters  in  religion. 

The  tribunal,  instead  of  referring  the  plaintiff  to  her 
ecclesiastical  superiors,  intervenes,  judges  and  condemns.  I 
hold  that  this  is  an  abuse  of  authority,  such  that  no  pretext 
can  rob  it  of  a  name  which  out  of  regard  for  your  feelings  I 
refrain  from  uttering. 

Third.  As  regards  the  sending  of  priests  speaking  our 
two  national  languages  to  interned  Belgians,  I  beg  your 
Excellency  to  obtain  for  me  a  definite  answer,  a  plain  yes 
or  no. 

During  three  years  I  have  pleaded  the  exercise  of  liberty 
of  conscience  for  these  unfortunate  men,  condemned  to 
confess  to  a  priest  who,  even  if  he  were  a  saint,  brings 
back  to  their  minds  the  memory  of  an  enemy.  The  Holy 
See  has  deigned  to  take  my  appeal  under  his  august  protec- 
tion. As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  representatives  of  the  Empire 
invariably  meet  our  every  effort  with  the  answer  that  they 
are  going  to  take  steps,  Schritte  .  .  .  unternehmen.  Mean- 
while we  are  no  better  off  than  we  were  before. 

I  beg  the  competent  authority  to  make  known  to  us  once 
and  for  all  whether  or  not  it  will  allow  us  to  send  Belgian 
priests  in  communion  with  their  bishops  to  help  our  coun- 
trymen. 

If  it  answers  in  the  affirmative,  it  will  thereby  supply 
proofs  of  its  respect  for  religious  liberty  and  we  shall 
thankfully  hasten  to  the  aid  of  our  abandoned  brethren. 

But  in  case  of  a  negative  reply,  I  would  ask  your  Ex- 
cellency to  no  longer  allow  censored  Flemish  newspapers 
of  the  extremist  section  (flamingant)  and  certain  dishonest 
individuals  hiding  behind  their  German  protectors  both  at 
Gottingen  and  here  full  liberty  to  calumniate  me  by  alleg- 
ing that  if  Flemish  prisoners  in  Germany  are  deprived  of 


406   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Flemish  confessors  and  preachers,  it  is  only  because  Malines 
has  an  Archbishop  who  is  an  enemy  of  the  language  and 
indifferent  to  the  religious  needs  of  the  Flemish  people. 

I  have  reason  to  believe  that  a  letter  treating  of  con- 
fidential ecclesiastical  affairs,  addressed  to  the  head  chaplain 
of  the  German  army  in  Berlin,  has  not  reached  him.  Will 
your  Excellency  allow  me  to  send  him  a  copy  in  a  sealed 
envelope  and  yourself  insure  its  safe  arrival  at  its  destina- 
tion? I  shall  be  exceedingly  obliged  if  you  will  do  me  this 
favor. 

Accept,  sir,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 
(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Political  Department  of  the  Government  General  of  Bel- 
gium. Brussels,  August  17th,  19 17. 

To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

The  Governor  General,  after  reading  your  Eminence's 
letter  of  the  1st  inst.,  told  me  that  he  did  not  intend  to 
answer  it  himself.  I  have  just  come  back  to  Brussels.  On 
my  return  his  Excellency  drew  my  attention  to  the  necessity 
of  dealing  in  detail  with  certain  points  raised  by  your 
letter  and  this  I  hasten  to  do. 

First.  As  regards  Sister  Celine's  pension,  the  Governor 
General  has  already  declared  to  your  Eminence  that  no 
German  authority  has  compelled  the  superioress  of  the 
Poor  Servants  of  Mary  Immaculate  to  contribute  2,000 
marks  toward  Sister  Celine's  maintenance  in  the  Ursuline 
convent.  According  to  further  information  received,  we 
have  nothing  to  add  to  this  declaration. 

Second.  In  this  same  letter  of  July  26th  the  Governor 
General  already  observed  that  the  prosecution  of  the  sis- 
ters of  the  Congregation  of  Mary  Immaculate  could  in  no 
wise  be  looked  upon  as  an  encroachment  on  the  domain  of 
religion  by  the  civil  power.  The  sisters  were  convicted  for 
infringements  of  German  decrees,  viz.,  one  sister  for  having 
retained  and  circulated  noncensored  publications  and  for  in- 
sulting Germans,  another  for  insulting  Germans,  and  a  third 


BELGIAN  PRIESTS  FOR  PRISONERS  407 


for  being  In  possession  of  and  circulating  noncensored  pub- 
lications, for  Insulting  Germans  and  having  no  identity  card. 

These  are  misdemeanors  and  well  within  the  province 
of  the  civil  tribunal  and  not  of  the  ecclesiastical  authorities. 
Offenses  against  the  common  law  committed  by  ecclesiastics 
are  everywhere  judged  by  ordinary  tribunals. 

Third.  As  regards  the  appointment  of  Belgian  priests 
to  internment  camps  in  Germany,  obviously  we  could  only 
admit  those  priests  who,  in  our  judgment,  could  be  trusted 
not  to  bring  any  anti-German  influence  to  bear  upon  the 
prisoners.  The  choice  of  these  priests  could,  therefore,  not 
be  left  exclusively  to  Belgian  bishops;  it  would  have  to  be 
made  in  agreement  with  the  competent  German  authorities. 
If  no  solution  of  this  problem  can  be  reached,  the  special 
care  of  the  prisoners  must  be  left  exclusively  in  the  hands 
of  German  priests.  There  is  nothing  extraordinary  in  this, 
for  neither  in  France  nor  in  England  are  religious  services 
for  German  prisoners  intrusted  to  priests  sent  from  Ger- 
many. Besides,  the  spiritual  interests  of  Belgians  interned 
in  Germany  have  not  hitherto  been  neglected;  they  have 
always  been  attended  to  in  a  satisfactory  manner. 

Fourth.  Your  Eminence  believes  that  a  letter  ad- 
dressed by  you  to  the  head  Catholic  chaplain  of  the  Prussian 
army,  Doctor  Joppen,  of  Berlin,  has  not  arrived  at  its 
destination.  It  must  be  noted,  however,  that  as  a  sequel 
to  a  letter  from  your  Eminence,  the  head  chaplain  has  sent 
the  Governor  General  a  detailed  report  on  two  Flemish 
priests.  The  presumption  is  that  the  said  letter  is  the  one 
your  Eminence  has  in  view  and  which  therefore  has  been 
duly  received.  It  is  not  possible  for  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral to  transmit  the  sealed  letters  you  forwarded  to  him  to 
their  addresses. 

I  offer  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)  Lancken. 


CHAPTER  XLV 


THE  GOVERNOR  GENERAL  THREATENS  TO  SEIZE  THE 
CHURCH  BELLS 

A  RUMOR  had  become  current  throughout  occupied  Bel- 
gium that  the  military  authorities  were  about  to  seize 
church  bells.  Without  waiting  for  the  official  publication  of 
an  order  to  this  effect,  his  Eminence,  in  conjunction  with 
their  Lordships,  the  Bishops  of  Namur  and  of  Liège, 
expressed  his  fears  to  the  Governor  General  and  protested 
beforehand  against  sacrilegious  acts,  such  as  would  be  com- 
mitted by  seizing  the  bells. 

Archbishop9  s  House ,  M  alines, 

September  yth,  191 7. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Falkenhausen,  Governor  Gen- 
eral, Brussels. 

Sir — For  some  time  past  a  rumor  has  gained  currency 
among  the  people,  giving  rise  to  a  very  keen  and  painful 
impression  on  all  sides.  There  is  a  question,  they  say,  of 
removing  the  bells  from  the  churches. 

Our  first  impulse  was  to  pay  no  attention  to  this  rumor, 
especially  as  it  appeared  to  have  little  foundation  in  fact, 
in  view  of  the  solemn  assurances  we  had  from  time  to 
time  received  from  the  German  authorities,  that  during 
the  time  of  occupation  the  rights  of  the  church  would  be 
respected.  But  certain  events  give  us  cause  for  anxiety, 
especially  the  seizure  of  bells  in  the  war  zone  No.  1  in 
occupied  France;  the  taking  away  of  bells  used  for  civil 
purposes  in  certain  districts  of  Belgium,  and  lastly  a  bell 
which  was  used  for  worship  has  just  been  violently  carried 
off  from  Magoster-lez-Laroche,  without  the  local  authori- 
ties being  advised  or  warned  that  this  would  be  done.  This 

408 


THREAT  TO  SEIZE  CHURCH  BELLS  409- 


last  act,  the  result,  no  doubt,  of  a  mistake,  was  at  once  re- 
ported to  the  military  Governor  General  of  Luxemburg  by 
the  diocesan  authorities  of  Namur,  as  being  formally  con- 
trary to  the  decree  of  December  13th,  19 16,  according  to 
which  objects  belonging  to  churches  and  other  buildings  or 
places  used  for  ecclesiastical  purposes  are  exempt  from 
seizure  and  delivery. 

These  incidents,  Excellency,  do  not  shake  our  confidence, 
but  they  fill  us  with  apprehension  and  will  serve  to  justify 
our  addressing  you  a  collective  letter  today  to  demand  pro- 
tection for  the  rights  of  the  church  and  ecclesiastical  prop- 
erty— a  protection  to  which  Article  46  of  The  Hague  con- 
vention entitles  us. 

We  fear  lest  the  prolongation  of  the  war  may  some 
day  threaten  with  danger  the  weighty  interests  of  religion 
and  Christian  art,  of  which  we  are  the  natural  guardians. 
We  hope  the  German  authorities  will  listen  to  our  appeal. 
We  conjure  you  to  intercede  with  the  higher  command  of 
the  army,  should  the  need  ever  arise.  It  is  superfluous  to  re- 
peat to  your  Excellency  that  it  is  the  duty  of  the  Belgian 
hierarchy  to  keep  the  patrimony  of  the  church  intact  and  to 
oppose  every  act  or  attempt  contrary  thereto.  Catholic 
liturgy  does  not  merely  look  upon  bells  as  objects  pertaining 
to  worship  ;  it  has  included  them  in  the  category  of  sacred 
vessels.  They  are  consecrated  to  divine  worship  through 
being  anointed  by  the  bishop  and  by  the  prayers  of  the 
Church.  They  must  be  retained  for  their  exclusively  re- 
ligious purposes  and  only  used  for  sounding  the  praises  of 
God  and  summoning  the  faithful  to  prayer.  They  cannot 
be  alienated  without  the  consent  of  the  ecclesiastical  authori- 
ties. Their  removal,  their  being  utilized  for  profane  pur- 
poses, would  be  looked  upon  by  our  people  as  a  sacrilege. 
Moreover,  how  painful  would  it  be  for  the  faithful  to  think 
that  the  metal  from  which  the  bells  are  cast  and  which  is  as 
a  rule  provided  by  their  generosity,  might  be  converted  into 
guns  or  ammunition  for  the  use  of  a  hostile  army  and  might 
be  destined  to  carry  death  into  the  ranks  of  their  own  coun- 
trymen, their  own  children. 

We  shall  be  happy  to  receive  from  your  Excellency  a 


4io  CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


word  to  calm  our  fears  and  to  enable  us  to  pacify  our  sorely 
tried  people. 

Accept  the  assurance  of  our  sincere  esteem. 
(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 
(Signed)  M.  H.  Rutten, 

Bishop  of  Namur. 
(Signed)  Th.  Louis  Heylen, 

Bishop  of  Liège. 

The  Governor  General  gave  an  evasive  answer. 

Government  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 

September  29th,  1917. 
To   His    Eminence    Cardinal    Mercier,   Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

In  the  letter  you  wrote  me  on  the  10th  inst.,  your 
Eminence,  in  conjunction  with  their  Lordships,  the  Bishops 
of  Namur  and  Liège,  expresses  fears  lest  the  bells  in  Bel- 
gian churches  be  seized.  The  hierarchy  contemplates  a 
case  in  which  military  necessities  might  lead  to  the  execution 
of  such  measures. 

I  am  able  to  answer  that  so  far  there  has  been  no 
reason  for  assuming  any  definite  attitude  as  regards  the 
question  raised  in  this  appeal. 

I  offer  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)  Von  Falkenhausen, 

Lieutenant  General. 

The  Cardinal  acknowledged  the  receipt  of  the  Governor 
General's  letter  as  follows  : 

Archbishop's  House,  Malines, 

October  4th,  19 17. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Falkenhausen,  Governor  Gen- 
eral, Brussels. 

Sir — I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of 
your  Excellency's  letter  of  the  29th  inst.,  with  reference 
to  the  preservation  of  bells  consecrated  to  Catholic  wôrship, 


THREAT  TO  SEIZE  CHURCH  BELLS  411 

and  I  thank  you  in  the  names  of  my  colleagues,  the  Bishops 
of  Namur  and  Liège,  and  in  my  own,  for  having  quieted 
our  anxiety  in  this  matter. 

Please  accept  our  assurance  of  our  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Events  were  soon  to  show  that  the  fears  of  the  Belgian 
people  as  to  the  seizure  of  their  church  bells  were  not  ill- 
founded.  Early  in  February,  191 8,  Baron  von  Falken- 
hausen  informed  the  Cardinal  that  he  was  ordering  inven- 
tory to  be  made  of  all  existing  bronze  bells  and  all  zinc 
organ  pipes  in  Belgium.  This  was  the  prelude  to  the  definite 
act  of  seizure. 

Government  General  of  Belgium,  Brussels, 

February  8th,  19 18. 
To   His   Eminence    Cardinal  MercieJr,    Archbishop  of 
Malines. 

I  have  the  honor  to  inform  your  Eminence  that  I  shall 
at  an  early  date  issue  an  order  providing  for  a  general 
inventory  of  all  bronze  bells,  etc.,  and  all  zinc  organ  pipes 
throughout  Belgium. 

In  view  of  my  letter  of  September  24th,  19 17,  I  did 
not  wish  to  fail  giving  you  this  information. 

I  offer  your  Eminence  the  assurance  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)  Von  Falkenhausen, 

Lieutenant  General. 

In  the  face  of  this  decision  the  Cardinal,  considering  all 
negotiations  with  the  Governor  General  fruitless,  wrote 
directly  to  the  Chancellor  of  the  empire,  Count  von  Hert- 
ling,  in  these  terms  : 

Archbishop* s  House,  Malines, 

February  14th,  19 18. 
Mr.  Chancellor — The  Governor  General  of  Brussels, 
Baron  von  Falkenhausen,  has  informed  me  in  a  letter  dated 


4i2     CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


February  8th  that  he  will  very  shortly  proceed  to  seize  the 
bells  and  organ  pipes  in  our  churches. 

In  September,  19 17,  it  was  already  being  noised  abroad 
that  our  bells  were  in  danger.  We  tried  then  to  pacify  the 
minds  of  our  flock  by  inviting  an  assurance  from  the  Gov- 
ernor General  that  in  accordance  with  the  oft-repeated 
promises  of  his  predecessors  he  would  uphold  the  rights  of 
the  church  in  Belgium,  the  Bishops  of  Namur  and  Liege 
joining  their  signatures  to  mine.  The  answer  of  the  Gov- 
ernor General,  dated  September  29th,  was  evasive.  That  of 
February  8th  now  announces  that  we  must  no  longer  cher-i 
ish  any  illusions  under  this  head,  and  that  failing  the  august 
protection  of  his  Imperial  Majesty  the  sacrilege  will  be 
perpetrated  in  the  course  of  a  few  days. 

Our  only  remaining  hope,  Excellency,  is  in  your  gra- 
cious intervention. 

Article  46,  of  The  Hague  convention,  imposes  upon 
the  occupying  power  the  duty  of  respecting  both  the  exer- 
cise of  public  worship  and  private  property,  whether  held 
individually  or  collectively.  Again  Article  53  limits  all 
requisitions  in  kind  to  the  needs  of  the  army  of  occupation. 

It  is  superfluous  to  add  that  bells  and  organ  pipes  are 
not  used  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  army  of  occupation. 
They  come  under  the  head  of  private  property  and  are 
used  in  the  exercise  of  Catholic  worship. 

In  the  name  of  international  law,  subscribed  to  by  the 
highest  authorities  of  the  German  Empire  and  the  King- 
dom of  Prussia,  I  beg  your  Excellency  to  prevent  the  pub- 
lication of  the  order  with  which  Belgium  is  threatened.  Be- 
ing a  Catholic,  like  ourselves,  your  Excellency  cannot  be 
unaware  that  the  forcible  seizure  of  a  church  bell  is  a  sac- 
rilege. A  bell  is  a  consecrated  object,  which  means  that  it 
is  irrevocably  dedicated  to  the  service  of  God.  The  bishop 
has  not  merely  blessed  it,  he  has  anointed  it  with  holy  oil 
and  sacred  chrism  in  order  that,  according  to  the  language 
of  the  liturgy,  it  may  be  sanctified  by  the  Holy  Ghost  ("sanc- 
tificetur  a  spiritu  sancto")  and  the  faithful  recognize  in  its 
call  the  voice  of  the  Church  summoning  her  children  to  has- 
ten to  her  bosom  ("Vasculum  ad  invitandos  filios  sanctae 


THREAT  TO  SEIZE  CHURCH  BELLS  413 


ecclesiae  praeparatum,  ut  festina  antes  ad  piae  matris  ec- 
clesiae  gremium  cantent  in  ecclesia  sanctorum  canticum 
novum"). 

The  voice  of  the  bell  summoning  you  to  lead  the  life  of  a 
Christian  and  which  will  summon  you  again  to  the  tribunal 
of  God,  your  Excellency  recognizes,  reveres  and  regards 
with  affection.  Now  that  you  are  Chancellor  of  the  Empire, 
its  appeal  still  reaches  your  heart  just  as  it  did  when  you 
were  yet  a  simple  member  of  the  faithful.  The  realities  of 
the  spiritual  life  and  ecclesiastical  law  are  unchanged  by  hu- 
man greatness.  You  can  neither  order  nor  authorize  the 
ordering  of  the  profanation  of  bells  consecrated  to  Catholic 
worship  without  at  the  same  time  participating  in  a  sacrilege. 

Let  me  add,  Excellency,  that  this  encroachment  on  the 
rights  of  the  Church  announced  by  the  Governor  General 
of  Brussels  would  come  as  a  great  shock  to  a  people  who 
have  never  wished  Germany  anything  but  good — a  people 
Germany  has  bound  herself  by  oath  to  take  under  her  pro- 
tection and  who  should  by  now  be  spared  fresh  sorrows. 

Among  the  cherished  hopes  of  your  compatriots  is  as- 
suredly that  of  one  day  renewing  friendly  relations  with  our 
country.  The  remembrance  of  a  violation  of  religious  rights 
so  very  dear  to  each  diocese,  parish  and  every  Christian 
family  in  our  country,  would  linger  in  the  minds  of  our 
people  for  several  generations,  fostering  hatred  instead  of 
love.  Will  not  your  Excellency  therefore  come  to  the  con- 
clusion that  the  economic  future  of  Germany  is  inevitably 
bound  up  with  the  vindication  of  international  law  and  the 
rights  of  conscience? 

Our  venerable  colleagues  in  the  German  and  Austrian 
episcopate  do  not  deny  the  validity  of  these  principles,  but 
they  have  had  to  resign  themselves  to  the  removal  of  bells 
from  their  churches  with  feelings  of  despair  in  their  souls. 
If  perchance  they  were  so  blinded  by  patriotism  as  to  tol- 
erate an  evil  they  were  powerless  to  prevent,  our  patriot- 
ism on  the  contrary  only  gives  additional  force  to  the  law 
of  resistance.  We  should,  indeed,  be  traitors  to  our  church 
and  our  country  were  we  to  be  guilty  of  the  cowardice  of 
supplying  the  enemy  with  material  for  engines  of  destruc- 


4i4   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


tion  destined  only  to  bring  death  into  the  ranks  of  the  heroes 
who  are  sacrificing  their  lives  for  us. 

I  make  this  my  appeal  to  the  man  whose  noble  career 
has  been  devoted  to  the  service  of  right,  to  a  Christian  who 
has  always  considered  it  an  honor  to  champion  the  rights 
of  the  Church  and  of  the  consciences  of  Catholics. 

In  conclusion  I  beg  the  Chancellor  of  the  Empire  to  re- 
ceive the  expression  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  Holy  See  on  its  own  account  also  made  pressing 
appeals  to  the  Imperial  Government  to  prevent  the  impend- 
ing confiscation. 

It  was  owing  to  these  various  representations  that  the 
threat  of  the  Governor  General  remained  a  dead  letter  and 
the  bells  in  the  Belgian  churches  were  saved. 


CHAPTER  XLVI 


THE  CARDINAL  PROVES  THAT  THE  SCARCITY  OF  AGRICUL- 
TURAL PRODUCTS  IN  OCCUPIED  BELGIUM  IS  DUE  SOLELY 

TO  THE  ACTION  OF  THE  GERMAN  "CENTRALS"  HE 

DENOUNCES  CERTAIN  SERIOUS  OUTRAGES  COMMITTED 
BY  GERMAN  SOLDIERS  IN  CHURCHES  AND  COMPLAINS 
OF  THE  SUPPORT  GIVEN  BY  THE  GERMAN  AUTHORI- 
TIES TO  A  CAMPAIGN  DIRECTED  AGAINST  HIMSELF  BY 
THE  "ACTIVISTS" 

Early  in  the  winter  of  1917-1918,  though  the  output 
of  the  Belgian  coal  mines  had  not  sensibly  lessened,  coal  was 
almost  unobtainable.  The  occupying  power  limited  more 
and  more  the  coal  ration  of  the  people. 

Acting  on  the  instructions  of  the  Governor  General, 
Baron  von  der  Lancken  informed  the  Cardinal  that  it  was 
needful  to  practice  the  greatest  economy  in  the  consumption 
of  coal.  This  letter  was  a  reproduction,  more  or  less,  of  one 
he  had  already  written  on  the  same  subject  in  February, 
1917. 

His  Eminence  replied  directly  to  the  Governor  General, 
proving  by  figures  that  if  the  scarcity  of  coal  were  great  the 
blame  must  be  solely  attributed  to  the  German  requisitions. 
In  general  the  scarcity  and  consequently  the  prevailing  high 
prices  of  agricultural  products  were  due  to  the  sinister  ac- 
tion of  the  "Centrals."  These  organizations,  created  by 
the  occupying  power  ostensibly  to  regulate  the  equable  dis- 
tribution of  produce  among  the  inhabitants,  had  for  their 
main  purpose  the  filching  of  the  greater  part  of  it  for  the 
benefit  of  Germany. 

415 


4i6   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Archbishop' s  House,  M  alines, 

November  i\th,  19 17. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Falkenhausen,  Governor  Gen- 
eral, Brussels. 

The  letter  with  which  your  Excellency  has  favored  me 
through  the  obliging  medium  of  Baron  von  der  Lancken 
informs  me  that  the  quantity  of  coal  allotted  by  your  gov- 
ernment for  distribution  among  the  Belgian  people  consist- 
ently grows  less  and  less,  so  that  not  only  private  houses 
but  also  schools  and  churches  will  have  to  suffer  from  the 
general  scarcity.  I  do  not  complain  of  the  extension  of  the 
same  treatment  to  all  alike,  but  I  fail  to  understand  how 
this  regime  of  famine  comes  to  be  imposed  upon  us.  Bel- 
gium is  a  rich  country,  and  yet  our  people  are  impoverished 
to  the  point  of  being  hungry  and  cold. 

Normally,  agriculture,  industry  and  the  working  of  the 
mines  are  carried  on  with  a  marvelous  intensity  and  behold, 
after  three  years  of  occupation  the  factories  are  closed  down 
and  we  are  told  that  the  available  agricultural  products  will 
not  suffice  for  our  most  pressing  needs. 

Official  statistics  which  I  have  by  me  prove  that  the 
coal-producing  industry  yielded  in  19 10  twenty-four  million 
tons  and  in  each  of  the  four  following  years  twenty-three 
million  tons.  If  we  deduct  from  these  figures  the  quantity 
consumed  in  the  collieries,  this  leaves  an  annual  average  of 
twenty-one  million  tons  available  for  sale  and  distribution. 
Taking  the  Belgian  population  at  a  rough  estimate  of  six 
million,  each  inhabitant  ought  to  be  allotted  more  than  three 
tons,  i.  e.,  3,000  kils.  of  coal  per  annum. 

I  am  not  unaware  that  at  the  present  time  coal  miners 
are  less  numerous  and  their  work  less  productive,  but  who 
is  to  be  held  responsible  for  the  reduction  of  hands  and 
energy? 

Agricultural  products  are  almost  unobtainable  and  are 
sold  at  exorbitant  prices.  One  simple  instance  of  this  will 
suffice:  Potatoes  have  been  sold  at  from  2f  50  to  3f  a  kilo 
(roughly  from  48c.  to  58c.  per  pound).  Our  land  yields 
sufficient  quantity  to  supply  each  inhabitant  with  about  one 
and  one-third  pounds  per  day,  even  after  deducting  the 


SCARCITY  OF  PRODUCTS  417 


amount  necessary  for  feeding  cattle  and  for  use  in  certain 
industries,  but  the  Brussels  people  actually  received  from 
September,  19 16,  to  September,  19 17,  approximately  two 
ounces  of  potatoes  per  head  per  day! 

Therefore,  in  the  name  of  our  starving  people,  dis- 
mayed by  the  outlook  for  the  winter,  I  beg  your  Excellency 
to  call  to  mind  the  promises  made  by  your  predecessors  and 
realize  your  own  responsibilities  in  this  matter. 

Hardly  had  he  arrived  in  Brussels  when  the  Governor 
General  Baron  von  der  Goltz  proclaimed  that  Belgian  citi- 
zens desirous  of  peaceably  following  their  occupation  had 
nothing  to  fear  from  the  troops  or  the  German  authorities 
and  invited  our  countrymen  to  resume  their  commercial  ac- 
tivities, to  reopen  the  factories  and  to  gather  in  the  harvest. 

Under  date  April  22d,  of  last  year,  the  late  Baron  von 
Bissing  made  the  following  communication  to  the  Belgian 
public  : 

"With  a  view  of  insuring  the  victualing  of  the  people  I 
have  determined  henceforth  to  prohibit  in  the  territory  un- 
der my  authority  the  exportation  of  all  foodstuffs.  All  these 
products,  provided  they  be  Belgian,  will  therefore  be  re- 
served for  the  population  of  the  territory  dependent  on  my 
administration1'  ! 

Every  time,  either  in  the  beginning  or  in  the  course  of 
the  occupation,  the  fulfilling  of  our  pastoral  duty  has  com- 
pelled us  to  draw  a  line  of  demarcation  between  our  per- 
manent duty  of  loyalty  to  the  legitimate  government  on  the 
one  hand  and  the  acceptance  of  the  temporary  regulations 
issued  by  the  occupier  on  the  other,  the  representatives  of 
your  government  have  appealed  for  their  own  advantage 
to  Article  43  of  The  Hague  convention.  This  article,  it  is 
well  to  remember,  is  conceived  in  these  terms: 

"Article  43.  The  authority  of  the  legal  power,  having 
'de  facto'  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  occupier,  the  latter 
shall  do  everything  in  his  power  to  re-establish  and  insure, 
as  far  as  can  be,  public  order  and  public  life  by  respecting, 
unless  absolutely  prevented,  the  laws  in  force  in  the  country." 

The  reason  why  international  law  recognizes  in  the  oc- 
cupier a  power  "de  facto"  is  therefore  quite  definite,  "to  re- 


4i 8    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


establish  and  insure,  as  far  as  can  be,  public  order  and  pub- 
lic life."  The  limits  of  the  exercise  of  it  are  defined,  "To 
respect,  unless  absolutely  prevented,  the  laws  in  force  in 
the  country." 

Whoever  holds  the  power,  therefore,  will  find  in  this 
Article  43  both  the  basis  and  the  limit  of  his  responsibilities. 
Moreover,  Article  43  clearly  defines  the  obligatory  destina- 
tion of  the  resources  of  the  country.  The  occupier  may 
not  seize  or  claim  them  except  for  "the  wants  of  the  army 
of  occupation." 

These  two  articles  give  the  key  to  the  solution  of  the 
knotty  problem  of  providing  the  country  with  foodstuffs 
and  fuel., 

Our  own  painful  experience  shows  that  the  German 
administration  has  erred  in'intrusting  to  the  "Centrals"  the 
exclusive  control  of  the  supplies  of  potatoes,  coal,  sugar, 
cereals,  fats,  etc. 

Means  of  subsistence  and  heating  are  not  lacking,  yet 
the  people  are  badly  fed  and  the  means  of  heating  very  poor. 
Where  does  everything  not  intended  for  their  consumption 
go?  In  the  name  of  public  order  and  public  life,  which  your 
government  pledged  itself  to  maintain  when  it  took  the 
power  in  hand,  in  the  name  of  a  people  suffering  hunger  and 
cold,  we  implore  the  General  Government  to  resolutely 
abolish  the  "Centrals"  whose  procedure  is  so  fatal  to  Bel- 
gian interests  and  to  confide  the  control  of  supplies  for  our 
country  either  to  permanent  deputations  agreeably  to  the 
Belgian  laws  of  August  4th,  19 14,  or  to  the  national  com- 
mittee under  the  supervision  of  ministers  who  will  protect 
Belgian  interests. 

This  letter  is  addressed  to  the  Governor  General  with 
feelings  of  deference  and  hope.  No  doubt  what  I  ask  him 
for  is  no  favor,  but  when  the  interest  of  workers'  families 
and  small  householders  is  at  stake,  it  does  not  cost  a  pastor 
very  dear  to  join  to  his  lawful  claims  an  earnest  prayer. 
Besides,  is  not  your  Excellency  bound  to  admit  that  in  doing 
us  justice  you  are  falling  in  with  the  wishes  of  your  own 
countrymen?  If  the  latter,  as  we  firmly  believe,  have  not 
given  up  all  hopes  of  one  day  renewing  commercial  rela- 


SCARCITY  OF  PRODUCTS  419 


tions  with  Belgium,  is  it  not  natural  that  they  should  ask  you 
not  to  sow  fresh  seeds  of  discord  and  bitterness,  but  rather 
leave  behind  you  some  last  remembrance  which  will  speak 
of  justice? 

Please  accept  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 
(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  Governor  General,  instead  of  answering  the  Car- 
dinal's arguments,  found  it  easier  to  assert,  just  as  he  had 
done  before,  in  the  matter  of  the  protest  against  the  arrest 
of  officials,  that  he  declined  to  discuss  with  his  Eminence 
questions  which  had  no  direct  bearing  on  ecclesiastical  af- 
fairs. 

The  Cardinal  justified  himself  by  affirming  that  his  duty 
made  it  imperative  for  him  to  take  a  practical  interest  in 
both  the  physical  and  moral  sufferings  of  his  flock.  Since 
the  Governor  General  wished  to  confine  himself  to  strictly 
ecclesiastical  matters  in  his  relations  with  the  Cardinal,  the 
latter  denounces  some  serious  breaches  of  respect  due  to 
religion  committed  in  sundry  places  by  German  troops.  He 
also  complained  of  the  support  given  by  the  occupying 
power  to  the  campaign  of  calumny  leveled  against  him  by 
the  "activists."  The  latter  publicly  proclaimed  that  if  Flem- 
ish prisoners  in  Germany  had  no  priests  at  their  disposal 
speaking  their  language,  the  blame  must  be  laid  on  the  Car- 
dinal's shoulders.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  latter  had,  since 
December,  19 14,  appealed  to  the  German  Government  for 
permission  to  send  priests  speaking  both  the  national  lan- 
guages to  internment  camps  in  Germany. 

Archbishop's  House,  Malines, 

December  \  \thy  19 17. 
To  His  Excellency  Baron  von  Falkenhausen,  Governor  Gen- 
eral, Brussels. 

Your  Excellency — In  your  esteemed  letter  dated  Novem- 
ber 29th  you  express  the  view  that  the  subject  of  my  letter 
of  23rd  ult.  did  not  concern  what  you  call  ecclesiastical  af- 
fairs and  is  therefore  outside  my  province. 


420    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


The  Governor  General  would  find  neither  in  Germany 
nor  elsewhere  any  Catholic  bishop  who  would  consent  to 
limit  his  sphere  of  action  to  the  precincts  of  the  church  or 
to  the  purely  spiritual  wants  of  his  flock.  The  physical 
and  moral  sufferings  of  our  people  are  ours  also,  and  any 
bishop  failing  to  share  in  them  would  betray  his  sacred  trust. 
Moreover,  I  am  a  Belgian  citizen  and  I  owe  it  to  my  coun- 
try to  make  fitting  use  of  whatever  influence  I  possess  on 
her  behalf.  Should  I  have  noised  abroad  my  grievances? 
Or  submitted  them  directly  to  the  first  authority  in  the 
Empire?  But  when  I  laid  them  before  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral, was  that  not  paying  homage  to  the  high  position  he 
holds  midway  between  his  Imperial  Majesty  and  occupied 
Belgium? 

However  that  may  be,  your  Excellency  cannot  dispute 
the  religious  character  of  the  two  following  incidents,  the 
first  of  which  took  place  at  Hainault  within  the  war  zone, 
while  the  second  concerns  myself  personally. 

On  November  14th  last  at  Tournay,  Mons,  and  in  a 
number  of  important  communes  in  Hainault,  German  sol- 
diers, either  themselves  or  through  the  instrumentality  of 
others,  opened  certain  tabernacles  where  the  Blessed  Sac- 
rament is  reserved  in  our  churches  and  chapels,  while  in  some 
places,  I  am  told,  they  even  dared  to  lay  hands  on  the  sacred 
ciborium  inclosed  in  the  tabernacle.  These  facts  are 
vouched  for  by  persons  whom  I  believe  to  be  sincere  and 
well-informed,  I  earnestly  beg  your  Excellency  to  investi- 
gate these  matters  and  take  the  necessary  steps  to  prevent 
a  repetition  of  such  sacrileges. 

To  come  to  the  second  of  my  complaints.  For  some 
five  months  now  the  activist  newspapers  have  been  organ- 
izing a  campaign  of  calumny  and  outrage  against  myself. 
Personally  I  treat  it  with  contempt.  But  there  is  one  thing 
I  must  set  my  face  against,  because  by  dint  of  repetition  it 
might  lead  simple-minded  folk  to  misconstrue  the  sentiments 
with  which  I  am  inspired  in  the  carrying  out  of  my  pastoral 
duties.  These  newspapers  make  me  answerable  for  the 
lack  of  bi-lingual  Belgian  confessors  in  both  the  military 
and  civil  internment  camps  and  in  those  where  the  deported 


SCARCITY  OF  PRODUCTS  421 


are  lodged.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  your  officials  know  quite 
well  that  I  have  made  repeated  representations  directly  and 
indirectly,  both  to  your  predecessors  and  yourself,  to  put  an 
end  to  this  deplorable  state  of  affairs,  but  in  vain. 

The  action  of  the  slanderers  is  all  the  more  cowardly 
because  they  know  that  the  connivance  of  your  government 
insures  impunity  for  them  and  deprives  us  of  the  means  of 
defense.  The  most  bare-faced  among  them,  who  signs  him- 
self Dr.  Aug.  Borms,  is  a  favorite  of  your  administration 
and  of  the  Politische  Abteilung.  The  latest  edition  of  his 
calumny  is  dated  November  29th.  Can  you  not  realize  that 
respect  for  truth  and  religion  imposes  duties  upon  you? 

Receive  the  expression  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  M  alines. 

The  Governor  General  was  unwilling  to  answer  the 
Cardinal's  letter  of  November  24th  on  the  pretext  that  he 
would  not  discuss  with  him  anything  except  religious  mat- 
ters. It  was  Baron  von  der  Lancken  who  took  upon  him- 
self to  plead  the  cause  of  the  "Centrals"  and  to  justify  the 
manner  in  which  foodstuffs  and  particularly  agricultural 
products  were  being  distributed  by  the  occupying  power. 

The  cause  was  a  bad  one;  consequently  the  pleading 
was  weak. 

Political  Department  of  the  Government  General,  Brussels, 

December  1st,  19 17. 
To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  Governor  General  has  forwarded  me  your  letter  of 
November  24th  for  reply. 

I  cannot  refrain  from  refuting  certain  insinuations  it 
contains  and  calling  your  Eminence's  attention  to  some 
points  which  escaped  your  notice  when  ventilating  your 
grievances  and  making  known  your  wishes. 

Your  Eminence  regrets  that  agricultural  produce  is 
hardly  obtainable  and  only  at  exorbitant  prices.  On  this 
occasion  you  are  right  in  recalling  the  promises  made  by  the 
late  Baron  von  Bissing  to  the  representatives  of  neutral 


422    CARDINAL  MERCIERE  OWN  STORY 


countries  and  the  Belgian  people,  to  forbid  the  exportation 
of  foodstuffs,  with  certain  exceptions  provided  for  in  the 
contracts.  It  could  not  have  escaped  your  notice  that  this 
promise  made  by  the  Governor  General  limiting  his  right 
to  commandeer  these  goods  for  the  needs  of  the  army  of 
occupation  was  a  purely  voluntary  act  on  his  part  in  favor 
of  the  Belgians,  for  you  must  remember  that  this  right  of 
seizure  is  in  conformity  with  Article  53  of  The  Hague  con- 
vention, as  you  yourself  acknowledge. 

This  engagement,  to  which  he  consented  of  his  own 
free  will,  the  Governor  General  has  always  observed  in  its 
entirety.  This,  I  am  glad  to  see,  your  Eminence  does  not 
call  into  question  in  your  letter.  You  ask  where  the  food- 
stuffs destined  for  the  Belgian  people  ultimately  go.  I 
would  remind  you  that  the  Governor  General  in  numerous 
notices  to  the  people  has  shown  that  great  quantities  of  food- 
stuffs were  acquired  by  the  wealthy  to  the  detriment  of  the 
bulk  of  the  people.  It  is  the  rich  who  are  unpatriotic  enough 
to  pay  middlemen  exorbitant  prices,  such  as  are  mentioned 
in  your  Eminence's  letter.  Small  farmers  and  holders  of 
monopolies  enrich  themselves  by  fraudulently  disposing  of 
foodstuffs  which  the  Governor  General  in  his  solicitude  en- 
deavors to  put  on  the  market  at  reasonable  prices  for  sale 
to  the  less  fortunate  and  needy  classes.  Numerous  orders 
and  decrees  of  all  kinds,  and  quite  lately  the  new  order 
in  virtue  of  which  more  severe  penalties  than  ever  are  to  be 
inflicted  on  profiteers,  are  so  many  proofs  of  the  fight  which 
the  ''Centrals"  and  other  organizations  erected  by  the  Gov- 
ernor General  are  carrying  on  against  a  fraction  of  the 
population  for  the  benefit  of  the  masses.  Your  Eminence 
yourself,  in  your  pastoral  letter  of  last  spring,  showed  that 
the  wretched  state  of  things  now  obtained  must  be  laid  at 
the  door  of  the  profiteers.  You  made  a  solemn  appeal  to 
the  consciences  of  peasants  who  have  proved  to  be  unpa- 
triotic. At  the  time  of  these  declarations  people  complained 
to  the  German  authorities  that  the  clergy  had  not  exercised 
its  weighty  influence  to  remedy  the  sad  plight  in  which  the 
Belgian  people  finds  itself.  In  spite  of  all  this  you  throw  all 
the  responsibility  on  the  "Centrals"  and  ignore  the  untiring 


SCARCITY  OF  PRODUCTS  423 


efforts  of  the  Governor  General  and  his  officials  to  insure 
the  just  and  equitable  distribution  of  all  agricultural  prod- 
uce. Of  course  they  do  not  always  succeed  in  overcoming 
the  resistance  made  by  certain  sections  of  the  population 
at  the  instigation  of  vested  interests.  The  same  phenomena 
are  to  be  found  in  all  countries  involved  in  the  war.  No- 
where have  the  organizations  created  to  meet  new  situa- 
tions succeeded  in  finding  definite  solutions  to  the  grave 
problems  arising  out  of  the  war  in  every  country  nor  for 
the  changes  in  economic  conditions  which  are  its  inevitable 
consequence. 

As  regards  the  difficulties  in  the  coal  supply,  the  question 
is  primarily  one  of  transport.  Belgium,  so  far  as  this  goes, 
finds  herself  in  precisely  the  same  plight  as  other  countries. 

Your  Eminence  reminds  me  that  the  occupier  has  the 
right  to  maintain  public  order  and  life.  The  numerous 
orders  of  the  Governor  General,  whose  purpose  it  is  to 
insure  the  feeding  of  the  Belgian  people,  and  the  unceasing 
efforts  of  the  officials  placed  under  him,  the  penalties  ever 
increasing  in  severity  against  profiteering  in  foodstuffs  and 
against  all  who  disobey  the  Governor  General's  orders,  are 
an  eloquent  proof  of  the  slender  foundation  on  which  your 
accusations  rest.  If  results  do  not  always  justify  our  expec- 
tations, the  chief  blame  must  be  sought  for — I  am  compelled 
to  admit — in  the  want  of  co-operation  on  the  part  of  the 
competent  Belgian  authorities  and  in  the  absence  of  public 
spirit  among  the  Belgian  people. 

Nevertheless  these  authorities  and  the  population  of 
Belgium  are  the  principal  objects  of  the  Governor  General's 
benevolent  intentions. 

I  offer  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)  Lancken. 

The  Cardinal  in  a  letter  addressed  to  Baron  von  der 
Lancken  and  in  which  he  complains  of  several  vexatious 
measures  taken  by  the  occupying  power  again  accuses  the 
"Centrals"  of  being  the  primary  cause  of  the  acute  distress 
in  which  the  population  was  plunged. 


424    CARDINAL  MERCIERE  OWN  STORY 


Archbishop's  House,  M  alines, 

December  nth,  19 17. 
To  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Chief  of  the  Political  Depart- 
ment of  the  Government  General,  Brussels. 
Dear  Baron — I  am  glad  to  accept  your  kind  offer  to 
transmit  a  sealed  letter  to  the  head  Catholic  chaplain,  Mgr. 
Joppen.* 

It  is  true,  then,  that  in  spite  of  all  the  promises  made  to 
His  Holiness  and  to  us,  the  Dean  Jules  Herman  will  not 
recover  his  liberty.  The  case  is  one  of  the  numerous  appli- 
cations of  a  process  inadmissible  in  justice.  When  the  tri- 
bunal sentences  a  prisoner  to  a  definite  penalty  and  the  pen- 
alty is  paid,  the  prisoner  has  a  right  to  his  liberty.  But 
now,  without  a  new  trial,  by  an  arbitrary  decision  he  is  kept 
in  exile.  Among  the  numerous  victims  of  this  procedure  I 
may  mention  the  mayor  of  Malines,  M.  Charles  Dessain; 
the  dean  of  Orp-le-grand,  M.  Herman,  and  my  secretary, 
Canon  Loncin. 

I  know  that  people  are  trying  to  be  disagreeable  to  me, 
but  is  this  a  reason  for  condoning  an  injustice? 

The  same  ungracious  intention  toward  myself  again 
manifests  itself  in  the  letter  written  in  the  name  of  the 
Government  General  to  his  Excellency  the  Nuncio,  regard- 
ing the  closing  of  the  Ursuline  Convent  at  Malines.  This 
letter  speaks  of  the  "spirit  of  rebellion"  against  the  laws 
of  the  country,  of  "breaches,  which  being  committed  at 
Malines  itself  .  .  ." 

This  is  erroneously  identifying  with  a  "rebellion"  a  pas- 
sive resistance  dictated  by  motives  of  conscience,  and  with 
the  "laws  of  the  country"  measures  fabricated  for  no  other 
purpose  than  to  overturn  them. 

Furthermore,  supposing  the  training  colleges  had  broken 
the  laws  of  the  country,  it  does  not  follow  that  it  was  per- 
missible to  shut  the  Catholic  secondary  school  and  the  Catho- 
lic primary  school,  which,  though  under  the  same  roof  as 
the  training  college,  had  nothing  in  common  with  it.  The 

*  In  answering  a  letter  of  the  Cardinal  wherein  he  interceded  on  behalf 
of  a  political  prisoner,  Baron  von  der  Lancken  offered  to  forward  a  sealed 
letter  to  Monsignor  Joppen  and  announced  that  Abbe  Herman  had  not 
obtained  leave  to  return  to  Belgium. 


SCARCITY  OF  PRODUCTS  425 


closing  of  these  two  schools  is  a  severe  blow  to  the  freedom 
of  education.  I  still  hope  that  the  line  of  action  taken 
against  these  innocent  nuns  will  not  be  continued  with.* 

As  regards  the  "Centrals,"  it  is  not  possible  for  you  not 
to  feel  the  weakness  of  your  pleading. 

No  doubt  I  have  reminded  small  farmers  of  the  obliga- 
tions, charity  and  common  fairness  imposed  upon  them  be- 
cause I  hold  that  we  must  tell  the  truth  even  to  our  friends, 
but  you  will  notice  that  I  immediately  subjoined:  "I  am 
fully  aware  that  the  primary  responsibility  for  the  crisis  does 
not  rest  with  the  small  farmers. "  In  a  document  intended 
for  public  reading  in  the  churches,  I  could  not  be  more  pre- 
cise than  this,  but  you  are  too  circumspect  not  to  see  that  I 
did  not  even  mention  the  word  "Central."  Do  not  place 
any  additional  burden  on  the  shoulders  of  the  small  farmers. 
You  have  already  weighed  down  and  drained  them  by  the 
fines  you  have  inflicted.  "The  Central"  is  but  an  octopus 
whose  spreading  tentacles  unceasingly  absorb  the  vital  re- 
sources of  the  country.  Leave  the  permanent  deputations 
and  the  national  committee  to  preside  over  the  distribution 
of  food  and  coal  and  then  the  people  will  be  nourished  and 
warmed  and  you  will  no  longer  incur  the  reproach  of  having 
favored  Germany  and  engaged  in  commerce  with  the  neu- 
tral countries  to  our  detriment. 

Please  receive  the  assurance  of  our  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Baron  von  der  Lancken,  in  replying  to  the  foregoing  let- 
ter, endeavors,  in  accordance  with  the  Governor  General's 
instructions,  to  refute  the  accusations  brought  against  the 
occupying  power  by  the  Cardinal  in  his  letter  of  December 
10th  to  Baron  von  Falkenhausen. 

*The  authorities  of  the  free  (Catholic)  training  college,  under  the 
direction  of  the  Ursulines,  in  their  unwillingness  to  recognize  the  adminis- 
trative separation  imposed  by  the  occupying  power,  refused,  as  the  ma- 
jority of  establishments  had  done,  to  present  their  pupils  before  an  examin- 
ation board  on  which  members  from  the  new  offices  sat.  On  account  of  this 
refusal,  the  government  ordered  the  clôture,  not  only  of  the  training  college, 
but  also  of  the  free  secondary  school  and  the  primary  school,  which  were 
carried  on  in  the  same  buildings  as  the  training  college. 


426    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Political  Department  of  the  Government  General, 

Brussels,  December  19th,  19 17. 
To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  Governor  General  has  handed  me  your  Eminence's 
esteemed  letter  dated  the  10th  inst.  and  has  asked  me  to 
reply  to  it.  His  Excellency  declares  that  he  is  unable  to 
recognize  the  right  by  which,  as  a  Belgian  citizen,  your  Emi- 
nence claims  to  use  the  influence  you  derive  from  the  posi- 
tion you  occupy  in  the  Church.  For  your  Eminence,  in- 
vested, as  you  are,  with  very  high  ecclesiastical  authority, 
holds  a  privileged  position  and  enjoys  a  protection  of  which 
the  Governor  General  and  his  predecessors  out  of  regard 
for  the  Holy  See  have  always  held  count.  From  the  very 
beginning  of  the  occupation  your  Eminence  has  made  use 
of  the  privileges  attached  to  your  ecclesiastical  position  to 
foment  a  political  agitation  which  in  the  case  of  a  simple 
citizen  would  bring  upon  him  prosecution  by  the  courts.  It 
is  for  this  reason  that  the  Governor  General  expressly  ad- 
heres to  his  own  point  of  view,  viz.,  not  to  enter  into  cor- 
respondence with  your  Eminence  except  in  questions  of  a 
purely  religious  nature.  In  his  quality  of  representative  of 
His  Majesty  the  Emperor,  the  Governor  General  exacts  the 
full  recognition  of  his  authority  in  the  territory  under  occu- 
pation. 

I  now  come  to  the  particular  points  put  forward  by  your 
Eminence.  In  the  first  place,  I  should  like  to  remark  that 
in  regard  to  the  perquisitions  made  in  churches  in  the 
provinces  of  Hainault,  an  explanation  has  already  been  given 
by  the  inspector  of  military  areas  to  his  Lordship  the  Bishop 
of  Tournay,  and  the  affair  can  therefore  be  considered  at 
an  end.  Nevertheless,  I  should  like  to  point  out  that  these 
perquisitions  have  shown  the  misuse  to  which  churches  have 
been  put  by  concealing  objects  in  every  way  profane  in  places 
reserved  for  divine  worship  only. 

In  regard  to  the  complaints  made  by  your  Eminence 
against  Doctor  Borms,  the  Governor  General  thinks  that 
the  latter  had  good  reasons  for  offering  resistance  to  your 
Eminence  when,  in  using  your  ecclesiastical  influence,  you 


SCARCITY  OF  PRODUCTS  427 

initiate  a  conflict  with  the  legitimate  aspirations  of  the  Flem- 
ish people. 

To  sanction  the  sending  of  Belgian  priests  into  prison 
camps  in  Germany — a  question  which  for  the  second  time 
your  Eminence  raised — rests  exclusively  with  the  military 
authorities  in  Germany,  but  I  feel  bound  to  remark  that 
the  same  authorities,  in  refusing  the  candidates  recom- 
mended by  your  Eminence,  yield  to  a  misgiving,  which  from 
their  point  of  view  is  fully  justified,  for  the  political  atti- 
tude which  you  have  assumed  from  the  very  beginning  of 
the  war  has  not  been  such  as  to  inspire  them  with  sufficient 
confidence  in  your  choice. 

In  your  letter  of  December  nth  you  again  bring  for- 
ward your  objections  to  the  "Centrales."  Referring  to  the 
statements  I  have  already  made,  I  should  like  to  call  your 
attention  once  more  to  this  fact,  that  the  difficulties  of  which 
you  complain  in  regard  to  supplying  the  people  in  Belgium 
with  food  are  to  be  found  in  every  belligerent  country,  even 
in  those  where  no  organization  of  the  kind  exists.  It  ap- 
pears to  me  that  it  is  not  fair  to  make  the  Belgian  "Cen- 
trales" responsible  for  all  the  difficulties. 

So  far  as  the  Cure  Jules  Herman  is  concerned,  new 
arrangements  have  been  made  with  which  I  recently  made 
your  Eminence  acquainted.  With  regard  to  the  closing  of 
the  schools  at  Malines,  conducted  by  the  Ursulines,  I  can 
only  state  to  your  Eminence  that  I  am  not  competent  to  deal 
with  the  matter,  but  all  the  same  I  will  procure  fuller  infor- 
mation and  if  needful  will  be  ready  to  revert  to  this  affair 
later  on,  in  case  it  is  ever  reopened. 

I  present  to  your  Eminence  the  expression  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)  Lancken. 


CHAPTER  XLVII 


THE  CARDINAL  REQUESTS  BARON  VON  DER  LANCKEN  NOT 
TO  CONVERT  THE  CHURCH  OF  ST.  ROCH,  AT 
HAL,  INTO  A  HOSPITAL 

Archbishop' s  House,  M  alines, 

March  29th,  19 18. 
To  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Chief  of  the  Political  Depart- 
ment, Government  General,  Brussels. 
Dear  Baron — I  must  draw  your  kind  attention  to  a 
rather  delicate  situation  that  has  arisen  at  Hal,  which,  by 
an  effort  of  good-will,  could  be  settled  without  any  un- 
pleasantness. 

The  local  authorities  wish  to  convert  a  parish  church, 
that  of  St.  Roch,  to  be  precise,  into  a  hospital.  To  do  so 
would  entail  the  disorganization  of  divine  worship  in  a  par- 
ish of  more  than  3,000  souls,  at  a  moment  when  the  services 
are  exceptionally  numerous.  The  dean  of  Hal  informs  me 
that  there  are  a  certain  number  of  unconsecrated  buildings 
where  the  wounded  could  easily  be  lodged. 

I  hope  you  will  be  good  enough  to  use  your  good  offices 
for  the  furtherance  of  religious  liberty,  and  in  so  doing 
you  will  earn  my  gratitude.  I  may  add  also  that,  according 
to  information  received,  your  intervention  is  urgently  needed. 

Please  receive  the  expression  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

The  Cardinal's  request  met  with  a  favorable  reception. 
The  church  remained  available  for  religious  purposes. 


428 


CHAPTER  XLVIII 

THE  RELIGIOUS  INTERESTS  OF  PRISONERS  DETAINED  IN  THE 
CITADEL  OF  DIEST 

Early  in  March,  191 8,  the  military  authorities  brought 
back  a  large  number  of  civilian  prisoners  from  Germany, 
principally  from  the  camp  at  Holtzminden,  and  interned 
them  in  Diest  in  a  disused  citadel.  The  Cardinal,  hearing 
that  the  spiritual  interests  of  these  prisoners  were  neglected, 
requested  the  Governor  General,  using  Baron  von  der 
Lancken  as  an  intermediary,  to  authorize  the  parochial 
clergy  of  Diest  to  attend  to  their  wants. 

Archbishop's  House,  M  alines  f 

March  29th,  19 18. 
To  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Chief  of  the  Political  Depart- 
ment of  the  Government  General,  Brussels. 

Dear  Baron — At  the  present  moment  there  are  about 
400  civilians,  transferred  from  Germany,  lodged  in  a  citadel 
situated  in  the  small  town  of  Diest,  and  rumor  has  it  that 
their  number  will  shortly  be  considerably  increased.  Some 
of  them  are  prisoners,  while  others — and  these  are  in  the 
majority — have  already  expiated  their  offense,  but,  I  am 
told,  are  being  detained  as  "undesirable"  under  police  sur- 
veillance. None  of  these  men  ever  comes  into  contact 
with  the  priests.  At  the  most  they  receive  but  rare  and 
flying  visits  from  the  German  chaplain.  I  earnestly  request 
his  Excellency  the  Governor  General  to  kindly  authorize  the 
local  clergy  to  provide  regular  religious  services  for  those 
who  are  interned. 

I  trust  you  will  use  your  influence  to  procure  this  author- 
ity. At  the  same  time  that  I  thank  you  in  anticipation,  I 
ask  you  to  accept  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

429 


430    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


The  Governor  General  refused  to  grant  the  Cardinal's 
request,  but  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  in  replying  to  the  above 
letter,  guaranteed  that  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  prison- 
ers at  Diest,  which  had  hitherto  not  been  overlooked,  would 
be  even  better  attericfed  to  in  the  future. 

The  Cardinal  acknowledged  the  receipt  of  the  letter  of 
Baron  von  der  Lancken  and,  while  taking  note  of  the  assur- 
ance given  by  the  Governor  General,  expressed  his  regret 
that  his  request  had  not  been  granted. 

Archbishop* s  House,  Matines, 

April  2nd,  191 8. 
To  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Chief  of  the  Political  Depart- 
ment of  the  Government  General,  Brussels. 
Dear  Baron — I  duly  received  yours  of  April  17th,  191 8, 
in  which  you  very  kindly  inform  me  as  to  the  care  of  the 
religious  interests  of  those  interned  in  the  citadel  of  Diest. 

Though  I  very  much  regret  that  Belgian  priests  are  de- 
nied access  to  their  compatriots,  especially  to  hear  their  con- 
fessions, I  am  grateful  for  the  guarantees  given  in  your  es- 
teemed letter.  In  thanking  you  I  would  ask  you  to  receive 
the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 


CHAPTER  XLIX 

THE  COMMANDEERING  OF  MATTRESSES  IN  THE  HOMES  FOR 

THE  AGED  OF  THE  LITTLE  SISTERS  OF  THE  POOR  

DIVINE  SERVICE  IN  THE  PRISON  ATTACHED  TO 
THE  KOMMANDANTUR  AT  BRUSSELS 

At  the  time  when  woolen  goods  were  commandeered, 
the  Cardinal  was  informed  that  aged  persons  lodged  in  the 
Homes  of  the  Little  Sisters  of  the  Poor  were  threatened 
with  the  loss  of  their  mattresses.  He  therefore  requested 
Baron  von  der  Lancken  to  intercede  with  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral in  favor  of  the  unfortunate  old  people. 

He  also  asked  him  to  arrange  to  have  mass  celebrated 
in  the  Kommandantur  prison  at  an  earlier  hour,  so  as  not 
to  prolong  until  a  late  hour  in  the  morning  the  fast  of  the 
communicants. 

After  an  inquiry  which  lasted  three  weeks  the  Governor 
General  decided  that  400  old  men,  out  of  450  inmates  of 
the  Rue  Haute  at  Brussels,  should  be  robbed  of  their  mat- 
tresses. As  regards  the  hour  of  divine  worship  at  the  Kom- 
mandantur no  change  could  be  made,  Baron  von  der 
Lancken  informed  the  Cardinal. 

The  Cardinal  in  an  energetic  protest  showed  how  outra- 
geous were  the  decisions  of  the  Governor  General. 

Archbishop's  House,  M  alines  t 

June  27th,  19 1 8. 
To  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Chief  of  the  Political  Depart- 
ment of  the  Government  General,  Brussels. 
Dear  Baron — Your  letter  dated  June  12th  brings  me 
a  very  disappointing  answer  to  the  two  petitions  made  by 
me  in  the  firm  hope  that  this  time,  at  all  events,  I  should 
meet  with  no  refusal;  the  refusal  is,  alas!  unconditional. 


431 


432    CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Thus  out  of  the  450  mattresses  of  these  poor  and  infirm  old 
men  in  the  Home  of  the  Rue  Haute,  his  Excellency  the  Gov- 
ernor General  has  ordered  400  to  be  commandeered,  and 
you  tell  me  in  his  name  that  fifty  mattresses  for  fifty  of  the 
more  serious  cases  must  suffice. 

I  am  amazed  at  such  language  and  must  confess  that 
discussion  is  quite  beyond  me.  For  months  your  agents  have 
invaded,  sometimes  in  one  district,  sometimes  in  another,  the 
homes,  hospitals,  orphanages,  and  made  the  aged,  the  sick, 
the  dying  and  orphan  children  sleep  on  straw,  or  on  some 
indefinable  substitute  to  which  in  any  case  those  interested 
prefer  straw.  These  facts  go  so  far  beyond  the  limits  of 
what  we  Belgians  would  have  believed  possible  that  we  look 
on  them  with  amazement,  scarcely  believing  the  evidence  of 
our  own  eyes. 

The  odiousness  of  these  repeated  requisitions  takes  our 
breath  away. 

But  when  the  heartrending  appeal  of  the  Little  Sisters 
of  the  Poor,  in  favor  of  the  aged  under  their  care,  in  Rue 
Haute  at  Brussels,  came  to  my  ears,  I  was  under  the  impres- 
sion, quite  wrongly  as  I  see  now,  that  the  distress  of  these 
saintly  women  and  the  fate  that  awaits  their  charges  would 
evoke  feelings  of  sympathy,  but,  alas,  for  the  sad  searing 
of  conscience  brought  about  by  militarism  ! 

You  imagine  also  that  it  is  possible  for  prisoners,  weak- 
ened by  the  hardships  they  have  undergone  and  the  mental 
strain  resulting  from  several  months  of  confinement,  to  re- 
main fasting  until  9  a.  m.  or  even  later,  when  they  go  to 
communion  on  Sundays.  The  question  naturally  arises  as  to 
how  the  concession  I  have  applied  for  can  possibly  be  preju- 
dicial to  the  discipline  of  the  Kommandantur  prison,  espe- 
cially as  there  are  generally  some  priests  among  the  pris- 
oners who  would  only  be  too  glad  to  say  mass  for  them  at 
an  earlier  hour — and  yet  you  refuse  to  grant  it  ! 

Once  more  I  am  silent.   You  cut  me  short. 

Furthermore  you  state,  incidentally,  that  the  spiritual 
needs  of  the  prisoners  are  not  very  great.  Now  many 
of  them  on  their  release  have  told  me  that  they  suffered 


COMMANDEERING  FROM  AGED  POOR  433 

greatly  from  a  lack  of  the  consolations  of  our  holy  religion. 
But  all  are  not  heroes. 

To  overcome  the  repugnance  certain  patriotic  souls  nat- 
urally feel  toward  making  their  confession  to  a  priest  who 
is  for  them  a  constant  reminder  of  an  enemy  power,  to  re- 
main fasting  until  a  late  hour  in  the  morning,  when  their 
whole  organism  is  exhausted,  both  call  for  more  than  aver- 
age virtue,  and  this  is  precisely  the  reason  why  I  have  foil 
four  whole  years  implored  every  successive  and  competent 
German  authority  to  grant  military  and  civilian  prisoners 
adequate  facilities  for  approaching  the  sacraments,  both 
here  and  in  Germany.  But  in  spite  of  the  loudest  public 
professions  of  regard  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  Catholic 
prisoners,  I  have  met  with  an  obstinate  refusal  right  up  to 
this  day. 

Please  accept  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 
(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 


CHAPTER  L 


THE  BELGIAN  BISHOPS  FORMALLY  PROTEST  AGAINST  THE 
IMPERIAL  GOVERNMENT'S  PROJECT  TO  UTILIZE  CERTAIN 
CATHOLIC  CHURCHES  FOR  PROTESTANT  WORSHIP 

Archbishop*  s  House,  M  alines, 

July  Sth,  1918. 

To  Baron  von  Falkenhausen,  Governor  General,  Brussels. 

Excellency — We  have  learned  that  the  Imperial  Gov- 
ernment in  Belgium  has  conceived  the  project  of  using  cer- 
tain of  our  Catholic  churches  for  Protestant  worship. 

Filled  with  consternation  at  the  announcement  of  this 
danger,  we  deem  it  our  episcopal  duty  to  lose  no  time  in 
doing  our  utmost  to  oppose  unanimously  the  measure  with 
which  we  are  threatened  and  to  declare  that  it  is  an  en- 
croachment on  the  sacred  rights  of  the  Church  and  wound- 
ing to  the  susceptibilities  of  our  flock. 

In  virtue  of  their  solemn  consecration  or  blessing  our 
churches  are  dedicated  exclusively  and  forever  to  Catholic 
worship.  To  hand  them  over  arbitrarily  for  another  pur- 
pose is  in  the  eyes  of  the  Church  tantamount  to  an  odious, 
if  not  actually  a  sacrilegious,  desecration,  and  so  true  is  this 
that  in  certain  cases  provided  for  by  canon  law,  a  church 
thus  desecrated  has  to  be  reconciled  by  expiatory  rites  be- 
fore it  can  be  restored  to  Catholic  worship. 

These  joint  churches  have  been  and  are  still  proscribed 
in  numerous  decrees  emanating  from  the  Roman  congrega- 
tions and  condemned  by  theologians.  So  great  is  the  num- 
ber and  such  the  harmony  existing  between  these  various 
decisions,  that  they  constitute  an  acquired  right  in  law.  In 
countries  where  these  joint  Catholic  and  Protestant  churches 
are  in  vogue  the  practice  is  merely  tolerated  by  Rome,  and 
the  Holy  See  has  explicitly  declared  that  it  cannot  be  intro- 

.  434 


/ 

USE  OF  CATHOLIC  CHURCHES  435 

duced  elsewhere.  The  teaching  of  the  Catholic  faculties 
in  the  German  universities  is  identical  with  what  we  have 
just  laid  down.  Article  14  of  the  Belgian  constitution  also 
guarantees  liberty  of  worship  in  public  as  well  as  privately. 
Is  there  any  one  bold  enough  to  maintain  that  the  measure 
they  contemplate  inflicting  upon  us  is  in  no  way  prejudicial 
to  Catholic  worship? 

The  Hague  conference  expressly  laid  down  in  Article 
46  :  "Religious  convictions  and  the  exercise  of  public  wor- 
ship must  be  respected." 

This  parading  of  a  form  of  worship  antagonistic  to  their 
own  in  their  very  sanctuaries  would  inflict  a  deep  wound  on 
the  feelings  of  our  faithful  people,  and  it  is  precisely  on  the 
ground  of  scandal  that  the  prohibition  of  the  Roman  con- 
gregations is  based. 

The  Belgian  people  in  general,  whether  in  town  or  in 
the  country,  are  staunch  in  their  allegiance  to  the  historical 
traditions  of  the  Roman  Church.  The  sight  of  unbelievers 
and  Catholics  worshiping  in  the  same  church  would  be  in- 
flicting an  outrage  upon  sorely  wounded  consciences  and  a 
painful  scandal  to  pious  persons,  in  whose  judgment  this 
promiscuity  will  ever  remain  an  uncalled  for  and  odious 
desecration.  Let  us  add  that  the  projected  scheme  would 
only  accentuate  the  discontent,  hidden  yet  keenly  felt,  caused 
by  the  physical  and  moral  sufferings  the  Belgian  nation  has 
gone  through  during  four  years  and  which  weigh  more  and 
more  heavily  upon  them  as  the  days  go  by. 

The  General  Government  cannot  even  allege  as  a  pre- 
text the  absence  of  secular  buildings  where  the  Evangelical 
services  can  be  carried  out  with  due  decorum.  We  under- 
take to  point  out,  in  all  the  districts  where  the  occupying 
power  calls  for  one,  a  hall  where  religious  service  can  be 
held  without  objection. 

Whatever  happens,  we  will  not  have  recourse  to  resist- 
ance by  force;  our  dignity  forbids  us;  but  we  protest  and 
we  continue  to  protest  against  the  violations  of  canon  law, 
of  Belgian  constitutional  law  and  of  international  law.  We 
can  never  of  our  own  free  will  connive  at  the  régime  of  joint 
churches.    If  it  be  established,  it  will  be  so  in  spite  of  us. 


436    CARDINAL  MERCIERE  OWN  STORY 


May  it  please  God  to  enlighten  the  Imperial  Govern- 
ment on  the  bearing  and  disastrous  consequences  of  the  pol- 
icy it  contemplates  adopting  and  make  it  refrain  from  pro- 
ceeding further  with  it,  thus  sparing  the  Belgian  people,  the 
clergy  and  the  faithful  this  fresh  calamity. 

We  beg  your  Excellency  to  accept  the  expression  of  our 
sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines, 
(Signed)  T.  L.  Heylen, 

Bishop  of  Namur, 
(Signed)  M.  H.  Rutten, 

Bishop  of  Liège. 

P.  S. — We  are  unable  to  submit  the  text  of  this  docu- 
ment to  his  Lordship  the  Bishop  of  Tournay,  but  we  are 
in  a  position  to  vouch  for  his  sharing  our  views  and  his  asso- 
ciating himself  with  us  in  our  protest. 


CHAPTER  LI 

RELEASE  OF  POLITICAL  PRISONERS  AND  OF  THE  DEPORTED 

Under  the  ever-growing  pressure  of  the  allied  troops 
the  German  army  was  in  full  retreat.  The  victorious  Flan- 
ders offensive,  launched  on  September  28th,  had  already 
freed  a  considerable  part  of  occupied  Belgium.  The  Ger- 
man General  Government  of  Belgium  knew  that  its  days 
were  numbered.  On  Thursday,  October  17th,  at  3  p.  m. 
Baron  von  der  Lancken  repaired  to  the  Archbishop's  house 
and  in  the  name  of  the  Governor  General  and  the  Berlin 
Government  handed  the  Cardinal  the  following  declaration, 
translated  into  French  : 

"You  are  in  our  estimation  the  incarnation  of  occupied 
Belgium,  of  which  you  are  the  venerated  and  trusted  pastor. 
For  this  reason  it  is  to  you  the  Governor  General  and  my 
government  also  have  commissioned  me  to  come  and  to  an- 
nounce that  when  we  evacuate  your  soil  we  wish  to  hand 
over  to  you  unasked  and  of  our  own  free  will  the  political 
prisoners  serving  their  time  either  in  Belgium  or  in  Ger- 
many, as  well  as  those  who  have  been  deported.  They  will 
be  free  to  return  to  their  homes  ;  the  first  batch  will  start  on 
Monday,  21st  inst.  As  this  news  is  sure  to  rejoice  your 
heart,  I  am  happy  to  impart  it  to  you  ;  the  more  so  as  I  have 
not  been  able  to  live  for  four  years  in  the  midst  of  the  Bel- 
gians without  esteeming  them  and  appreciating  their  patriot- 
ism at  its  true  value.'' 

The  next  day  the  Cardinal  sent  Baron  von  der  Lancken 
the  following  letter: 

437 


43.8   CARDINAL  MERCIER'S  OWN  STORY 


Archbishop's  House,  Matines, 

October  18th,  191 8. 
To  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Chief  of  the  Political  Depart- 
ment of  the  Government  General,  Brussels. 

Dear  Baron — The  announcement  you  were  kind  enough 
to  make  yesterday,  in  the  name  of  the  Governor  General 
and  the  German  Government,  as  to  the  early  release  of  our 
political  prisoners  and  our  deported,  has  greatly  rejoiced 
me  and  I  return  you  my  heartfelt  thanks. 

Next  Sunday  your  message  will  be  given  to  the  public 
in  all  the  parishes  of  the  diocese.  It  will  produce  a  soothing 
impression  and  will  quicken  hopes.  When  in  the  course  of 
the  week  families  see  the  absent  ones  returning  to  their 
homes  they  will  feel  rising  in  them  generous  desires  of  rec- 
onciliation and  forgiveness. 

I  have  the  honor  to  join  to  my  letter  a  copy  of  the  com- 
munication to  be  made  to  my  flock. 

I  feel  sure  I  am  voicing  the  wishes  of  our  people,  when, 
in  their  name  as  well  as  in  my  own,  I  beg  you  to  tell  the  au- 
thorities, whose  representative  you  are  among  us,  how 
greatly  we  appreciate  the  benevolent  action  of  which  your 
government's  initiative  is  a  proof  and  with  what  earnestness 
we  long  for  the  realization  of  the  hopes  your  promise  has 
raised  in  our  hearts. 

Accept,  Baron,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

With  this  letter  was  inclosed  the  Cardinal's  communica- 
tion to  his  flock,  which  was  read  in  all  the  churches  on  Sun- 
day, October  20th. 

Malines,  October  17th,  19 18. 
To  the  Clergy  and  Faithful  of  the  Diocese  of  Malines. 

Dear  Beloved  Brethren — Our  hearts  soar  in  hope. 

Peace  is  not  yet  signed.  So  suddenly  do  events  follow 
one  another,  so  disconcertingly  at  times,  that  no  one  would 
venture  to  say  peace  was  already  won. 

Its  day,  however,  has  already  dawned. 

We  already  see  the  harbinger  of  it. 


RELEASE  POLITICAL  PRISONERS  439 

Today,  Thursday,  October  17th,  the  chief  of  the  politi- 
cal department  came  in  the  name  of  the  Governor  General 
of  Brussels  and  of  the  Berlin  Government.  He  brought 
word  to  me  that  Belgian  political  prisoners,  interned  either 
in  Belgium  or  in  Germany,  and  the  Belgians  deported  into 
Germany  will  be  released  as  soon  as  Belgium  is  evacuated. 
The  release  of  those  detained  in  the  prisons  of  occupied 
Belgium,  outside  the  military  areas,  will  begin  from  Mon- 
day, 2 1  st  inst. 

I  append  herewith  the  written  declaration  which  the 
German  Government's  delegate  handed  to  me.  Influenced 
by  a  personal  feeling,  which  you  will  understand,  I  have 
hesitated  to  give  you  the  full  text  thereof.  But  on  reflection, 
I  have  decided  to  do  so. 

(Here  follows  the  text  of  the  declaration  above.) 

You  see  then,  dearly  beloved  brethren,  that  God  is  still 
with  us.  Your  earnest  appeals  to  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus 
and  to  Our  Lady  of  the  Rosary,  Mary  our  Mediatrix,  have 
been  heard.   Persevere  of  one  mind  in  your  prayers. 

Remain  calm  and  dignified. 

The  hour  of  definite  deliverance  and  of  peace  with  vic- 
tory is  at  hand. 

Courage  and  confidence! 

Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus,  I  put  my  trust  in  Thee. 
Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus,  protect  Belgium. 
Our  Lady  of  the  Holy  Rosary,  Mary  our  Mediatrix, 
pray  for  us. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 


CHAPTER  LU 


PROTEST  OF  THE  CARDINAL  AGAINST  THE  BEHAVIOR  OF 
GERMAN  TROOPS  DURING  THEIR  RETREAT 

Archbishop' s  House,  M  alines  y 

October  18  th,  191 8. 
To  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Chief  of  the  Political  Depart- 
ment of  the  Government  General,  Brussels. 
Dear  Baron — I  am  credibly  informed  that  about  Octo- 
ber 14th  and  15th  more  than  500  young  men  of  St.  Nicholas 
were  led  by  force  to  the  front,  in  the  direction  of  Ypres. 
If,  as  I  have  reason  to  believe,  this  proves  correct,  you  must 
admit  that  it  is  to  be  deplored  and  is,  more  than  ever,  un» 
fortunate. 

May  we  hope  that  the  Vilvorde  and  Malines  prisons 
will  be  opened  at  the  beginning  of  next  week,  those  of  Brus- 
sels and  Antwerp  soon  afterward? 

Accept,  dear  Baron,  the  expression  of  my  high  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Archbishop's  House,  Malines, 

October  28th,  191 8. 
To  Baron  von  der  Lancken,  Chief  of  the  Political  Depart- 
ment of  the  Government  General,  Brussels. 
Dear  Baron — The  communal  authorities  at  Malines 
are  very  much  perturbed  at  the  way  in  which  the  military 
make  free  use  of  the  residences  of  private  people.  They 
are  not  content  with  requisitioning  available  rooms,  but  they 
expel,  in  a  cavalier  manner,  the  landlords  from  their  homes 
and  supplant  them.  Ladies,  lawyers,  doctors  have  thus  been 
evicted  from  their  houses. 

And  yet  places  of  amusement,  concert  halls  and  theaters, 

440 


BEHAVIOR  OF  GERMAN  TROOPS    44 1 

which  would  be  admirably  adapted  for  the  installation  of 
officers,  are  left  open.  The  occupation  of  those  places 
would,  moreover,  have  a  salutary  moral  effect. 

I  know  that  the  jurisdiction  of  His  Excellency  the  Gov- 
ernor General  does  not  extend  to  the  war  zone,  but  I  thought 
that  his  great  influence  might  indirectly  be  used,  and  with 
success,  in  the  interest  of  Malines  families  and  of  public 
order. 

I  avail  myself  of  this  opportunity  to  thank  you  for  the 
release  already  granted  to  prisoners  and  also  ask  you  to 
kindly  stimulate  the  zeal  of  the  officials  commissioned  to 
carry  out  the  work  of  release.  I  know  that  numerous  pris- 
oners, among  whom  is  a  considerable  contingent  of  priests 
and  religious,  who  could  render  invaluable  services  to  the 
diocese,  are  anxiously  awaiting  the  release  promised  them 
through  the  clemency  of  the  Governor  General. 

Accept,  Baron,  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

(Signed)  D.  J.  Cardinal  Mercier, 

Archbishop  of  Malines. 

Political  Department  of  the  Government  General, 

Brussels,  November  ist,  191 8. 
To  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines. 

I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  your  esteemed  letter  of 
October  28th.  I  at  once  sent  it  to  the  competent  military 
authorities,  and  believe  myself  already  justified  in  saying 
that  your  Eminence's  wishes  will  be  met,  so  far  as  circum- 
stances will  allow. 

I  offer  to  your  Eminence  the  assurance  of  my  sincere 
esteem. 

(Signed)  Lancken. 


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